Sparrow's Bargain
by Yuna Yami Mouto
Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington
1. Chapter 1

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"Curious," Lord Cutler Beckett commented when his _prisoner_ was brought into his cabin aboard the Endeavour. "The last time I saw that ship, she was up in flames, sinking to the bottom of the ocean, hoping her traitorous Captain had gone down with her." The smaller man turned around to look at said Captain, who was busy riffling through the room, picking up this and that, making sure to look and touch everything there. "Equally curious, though, is that your friends seem quite desperate, Jack. Perhaps they no longer believe that a gathering of squabbling pirates can defeat the Flying Dutchman. And so despair leads to betrayal. But you and I are not strangers to betrayal, are we, Jack?"

The infamously famous Jack Sparrow, Captain of the by now legendary Black Pearl, just recently rescued from Devy Jones' Locker, turned his full focus to the little British man, none of his usual humor on his face, only that catching, sharp intelligence that took you by surprise considering his normal antics and animated features. Beckett, however, wasn't surprised to have that look directed at him. He, unlike most, had seen early on the potential in Jack Sparrow when he had first met him when the pirate was still considered just a boy. The intensity of the other man's gaze could be quite unnerving when not accompanied by his silliness or cheer or drunken drawl. Beckett, had he not been so discomforted at being put on the spot by that bird like gaze, would have preened at being worthy of Sparrow's discarding of his many masks and pretenses at being nothing more than a drunken buffoon in order to be taken seriously.

However, the problem with being taken seriously by Jack Sparrow was that it usually didn't end well for you. Barbossa's death by that one shot meant for him said as much.

"I've told ye I wou'dn' be yer slave transporter boy and yet ye made m' do it." Jack said in his usual drawl, as though this was some boring matter preventing him from enjoying the company of one of Tortuga's whores, but his eyes spoke of a different story. "I don' condone slavery, mate. Makin' me sail dat ship ... Doin' what ye did to 'er ... One day, I swear by the Code, ye will pay fer dat."

"I believe your exact words were 'It's just a ship,' no?" The Lord hummed as if in thought, a sardonic smirk curling his lips.

Sparrow was not amused. "An' ye knew it was s' much more an' ye still took 'er from me." The man looked about ready to draw either his sword or his pistol, yet he made no move to do so, most curious indeed. Beckett kept a sharp eye on the savvy pirate Captain, wondering how he should go about this.

It was a sad fact but the East India Trading Company, as well as the British or any other Navy, knew next to nothing about the real life these sea bound outlaws led, since rare few commanders bothered to try and interrogate the pirates they managed to catch before presenting them to the crowds of whatever settlement with a swift 'drop and sudden stop'. Beckett had despaired at how many of his own men had kept doing that until he had to order them all, quite literally, to stop doing so. Even now he had similar issues with Davy Jones and his crew on the Flying Dutchman. It's why he had stationed formerly disgraced Commodore and now Admiral James L. Norrington and the heart that very same man had brought to him on the ship to ensure Jones sailed as _he_ wanted, not that fishface who was now nothing more than his obedient mutt. Jones was a great source of information regarding some aspects of the pirates' way of life, which was how he had first learned of the significance of the Brethren Court and the Pirate Lords. However, his original knowledge of them came from none other than Sparrow and his information was much more detailed and actual than Jones'. Jones was there when the Brethren Court had first come into existence but he had had very little to do with them since. Sparrow, on the other hand, had been there when the third Court had been called to deal with El Matador Del Mar, if Beckett's history was correct. Sparrow had even sailed in that last battle against the Spaniard and had come out of it as the Captain of his beloved ship with a crew so loyal to him that they had actually _loved_ their young Captain and had followed him even when he started sailing for the EITC, despite how their ilk was treated by the Company.

And Sparrow had repaid them by not allowing them to sail with him during his last voyage for the Company, saving their lives in the process. No men had ever served their Captain so loyally and stubbornly as those sailors had Jack Sparrow.

But Beckett shook off thoughts about Sparrow's old crew and instead concentrated on the matter at hand. Seeing how their last meeting went - branding Jack with the P mark as a pirate and an outlaw, burning his beloved ship and leaving him to die out on the open sea - Cutler had great doubts that he could come to an agreement - an accord, as his companion preferred - with him. Jack Sparrow was as wild and untamable as the sea, but Beckett was working on taming the seas to his liking already. Devy Jones was, after all, his puppet. However, Sparrow was a different story. He was all about life and freedom and he would do anything to keep both with that razor sharp silver tongue of his.

But the one thing he loved even above his own life was his ship. The ship Beckett had had _sunk_. The likeliness Sparrow would cooperate were minimal. If he were to threaten the Black Pearl now, they were inexistent, as would be his head or heart, too, if he were to try. He was rather irritated that his men were all so incompetent. How could they have forgotten to disarm a _pirate_ before letting him come in here, to be with him _alone_? Truly, he was surrounded by idiots. Sparrow could kill him twenty times over before anyone could react. Yes, he had a pistol on him, but so did Jack and Beckett had seen a few times just how quickly and fluidly the man could draw his without anyone being the wiser about it before it was too late.

"Wot d' ye want from me, Beckett? I hardly think this is a social call on yer part. I know ye better." Sparrow asked, cutting into Beckett's musings once again. He decided to forget about the past, for the moment, and instead focus on the present. Jack was a smart man cornered in a very unfavorable situation. He would recognize a good business offer when it was extended to him, surely.

"I am perfectly prepared to offer you a Letter of Marque and ensure your own safety, as well as return to you your ship, _if_ ," he made sure to stress that 'if' an extra bit to make his point. "You would be willing to divulge certain ... information. Think about it, Jack." He implored when the pirate made no indication of answering. "It would be just like before. Just you, your handpicked crew, your ship and the sea."

"Something tells me ye've grown rusty, mate, if ye seriously think an offer like dat is goin' to persuade me to tell you about the Brethren Court." The Pearl's Captain replied coolly, a fine black brow arched, dark eyes impassive, the air around him superior and unimpressed. "Me firs' concern is Devy Jones, whom you 'ave been keepin' on a leash if I've heard right, and yet ye didn't start off wiff dat. Ye're losing yer edge, mate. A blunt blade is of little use."

Beckett's lips thinned in annoyance when he received a rather ... predatory version of Sparrow's usual smile and he tried not to be disconcerted by it. "This is the only way you can keep your life, Jack. I control the sea now. My word is law."

"The sea can't be controlled by no one man, Beckett." Sparrow answered dismissively, returning to his studying if the room. "We're less than ants in 'er waters, after all. Humans are jus' foolish in thinkin' they can control 'er. An' even if they some'ow manage to do it, 'tis only temporary. The sea is everchangin' yet always the same, mate. It cannot be tamed, no matter wot we think."

"It can and it _will_ be. As soon as I destroy the pirate meanace." Beckett snapped, losing his cool as he was wont to around this particular pirate. No one can stay stoic and unmoved in Jack Sparrow's presence. Beckett suspected even the legendary sphinx wouldn't last long with this madman.

"An' dat jus' makes me wanna tell ye 'bout the Court." Jack drawled, taking up a scepter, standing in front of Beckett's portrait and imitating it in an absurd fashion, irritating the Lord even more. Even when Sparrow had been in his service, the man had a way of getting under his skin, making him feel off balance and as though it was _Sparrow_ who had the upper hand and not the other way around. There was no equal footing with Sparrow. He was always standing on solid ground while everyone else was trapped in quick sand, wholly dependent on him regarding how fast you will sink and how much of your freedom you might regain. It was that accursed silver tongue of his. The man could talk himself out of almost any situation.

"Why do you protect them so? When you entered my employ, you have been thrilled to be rid of them all. Why protect them now?"

"Simply, mate! I hate ye more than I hate them, so it's the lesser of two evils an' all dat." The grin with which Jack said this was getting on Beckett's last nerve. For all that the pirate had been one of his best investments, he had not missed the man at all. In fact, he would very gladly see this man dead, if he was given the opportunity. But he needed him, for now. He watched as the scoundrel continued looking around, opening drawers and cabinets now.

Beckett smirked. "It's not here, Jack, the heart of Devy Jones. I would never leave it somewhere so easily accessible to the likes of you."

Jack stopped everything he was doing to regard Beckett with a strange expression on his face, his eyes considering. Beckett arched an eyebrow when a smug grin appeared on the darker man's face. "It's on the Dutchman, ain't it, eh? A bit too predictable, isn't it?"

The Englishman's composure went rigid. All of his plans ... They all were put to waste by that single realization made by this particular pirate. This was the reason he had sought to employ the eighteen year old Captain above other, more experienced sailors some fifteen years ago. The man's wits cannot be matched easily. Even when you think you had him, luck or his own skill and intelligence saved him and turned the situation into his favor. If Sparrow knew the location of the Chest ... It was no longer safe. Rather, _Sparrow_ was no longer a safe bet. He would have to get rid of him. Sparrow had a history of doing the impossible and sneaking onto the Dutchman wouldn't even be all that hard if he played his cards right. Jones was melancholy and did his best to avoid the Chest, which means it will be free for the taking to Sparrow, who would easily outwit anyone left in charge of guarding it.

Beckett was not pleased. Sparrow had been one of his best investments in the past and was his best bet now to find out some information on the Brethren Court. Yes, he _could_ have made a bargain with Sao Feng, perhaps, had he not just broken his last deal with him by having his men take over the Pearl. Sao Feng won't be saying anything. The coward had probably left already, fleeing for his pathetic life.

No matter. The pirates can't hide forever. It was not a complete waste, all of this. Yes, he lost Jack Sparrow and whatever information he might have possessed or whatever services he could have gotten from the pirate had he been interested in the Letter of Marque, but he had in turn gained the fastest ship to ever sail the seven seas. The Black Pearl was his now. Too bad he will have to get rid of her Captain. Truly a loss, but not one he would mourn that much. Jack _had_ cost him a lot, made a fool of him, tarnished his good name and reputation when he had freed those slaves.

"Guards," he called out as suddenly as he could and Sparrow almost jumped at the first sound he had uttered in the past five minutes. Two red uniformed marines swiftly entered the room, waiting orders. "Seize him, disarm him and put him in the brig. Tell the helm master to set course for the nearest English harbor.'' He met the condemned pirates eyes and smirked at him, enjoying the glower that earned him. ''Mr Sparrow has an appointment with the gallows."

Now, all he needed to do was figure out how he will get any sort of information about the Brethren Court. It can'be too hard, surely? After all, he had managed to catch _the_ Captain Jack Sparrow.

Yes, it can't be that hard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

The news had reached him as the Flying Dutchman was destroying a few more pirate ships that seemed to be making haste towards some unknown location. Lord Cutler Beckett had made it clear that they are to interrogate every pirate that survives the initial attack but, for the first time since he had joined His Majesty's Royal Navy, Admiral James Norrington could not make the pirates divulge any form of information about this 'Pirate Brethren Court' or the 'Nine Pieces of Eight' Lord Beckett was interested in, even in exchange for their lives. He had been in the middle of interrogating a small Frenchman when Devy Jones, equal measures satisfied and furious, entered the brig to tell him that he was to escort Norrington to a port in the Atlantic where one Captain Jack Sparrow was to be hanged when he arrives to see it.

Norrington had been left to watch after the retreating Captain's back as mixed emotions warred in him. No, he should not be having any mixed emotions regarding Sparrow. None at all. He should not be feeling guilty for taking Jones' heart from the desperate man and leaving him to Jones and the Kraken to meet his fate. He should not have mourned at the news from Lieutenant Groves that reached Port Royal regarding Sparrow's death - dragged to Davy Jones' Locker with his beloved Black Pearl by the Kraken he had been so desperately running from. He should not have felt lonely when he looked out at the horizon, when the sun was setting or rising above the waters, hoping to have all the rumors proven wrong by seeing a black ship with black sails appearing in the distance. He should not have felt relieved when he heard Sparrow was somehow alive again or happy that the man's ship had escaped death with him. He should not have felt dread when the news of his hanging finally registered and just after he had miraculously been returned from the dead. He should not have felt indignant on the pirate's behalf when an official report made it to him, stating that the Pearl had once more made off without her Captain, in that damned Barbossa's command no less, after she escaped from the Endeavor. He should not have been excited to see Sparrow again, nor should he have been eager to hear his voice uttering those stupid phrases of his. Nor should he have felt sickened when he realized he was expected to watch the man die.

Much had changed in the time Sparrow had been dead and one of them was that Norrington no longer held the Royal Navy or the East India Trading Company in as high a regard as he used to. He had lost much of his respect for both after he had resigned from his position of Commodore and had instead settled in Tortuga until he had ran into Jack Sparrow again, but he hadn't realized that until he was back in his stuffy uniform and wig. The stories that circulated the pirate port had opened his eyes to a lot of things regarding the Navy and EITC, but he had not been able to truly _see_ that until he returned to his duty and found the restrictions of his uniform - both metaphorical and literal - unbearable. Brandy no longer tasted right. He found land did nothing to soothe his unease when surrounded by naval officers. He could only fall asleep and truly _sleep_ on a rocking ship. He had to bite back dozens of curses a day. He balked when he saw pirates being hanged - there were _children_ climbing up to the gallows, for God's sake! He found himself wondering why the thought of scrubbing a black deck suddenly felt better than commanding a fleet did. He was jumpier than usual. He no longer sneered at the whores lining the docks they stopped at, instead just nodding to them respectively. Had it not been for that one nice whore in Tortuga, he would have died the first night there, long before Sparrow had came in search for a crew. He had a new respect for those women.

But, most of all, he had realized just how corrupted the Navy and the Company actually were. He had never really paid it much heed, but it had now come to his notice that pirates didn't get a trial at all. They didn't get a chance to plead their case. How had he not noticed that before? He knew _Jack Sparrow_ personally and that man could talk a bullet out of killing him. Jack would have never walked even within five feet of the gallows had he been allowed to plead his case. Women and children who had unknowingly associated with pirates were killed mercilessly. He had stopped two _Navy officers_ just three days ago from indulging themselves with an unwilling woman pirate they captured from one of the ships they had sunk. Smugglers were treated no better than murderers and rapists. There were more desertions from the British Royal Navy than any other marine forces in the Caribbean. Jones was a slave to Beckett himself.

Needless to say, spending time with pirates had allowed James Norrington to see the truth and he found himself sickened.

Learning that Jack Sparrow was to be hanged made him even more sick.

He had ordered Jones to make haste so they could arrive before Beckett. That would give him time to come to a decision about what he will do once he is forced to watch Sparrow step up to the gallows for the second time. He didn't even really pay much attention as his men shouted in panic when the Dutchman sped up. Jones was not allowed to submerge with so many of normal people on the ship but the Flying Dutchman was a magical ship and it took them only three days to arrive in the port that the hanging was to take place. Recalling a certain black ship with black sails and a joyful Captain at her steering wheel, he wondered why he felt smug on Sparrow's behalf that the Black Pearl would have made it in a day less than this supposedly magic ship.

Beckett arrived the next day with the Endeavor.

While the preparations for the gallows were being made, Norrington took Groves to the side, leading him to a pub on one of the poorer streets of the small harbor town whose name James hadn't bothered to remember. He had his Lieutenant tell him everything that happened, including how the Pearl had escaped without her Captain again. Groves had been just as surprised and relieved when he had seen Sparrow alive again, being strangely fond of the pirate and quite obviously admiring his skill and wit and kind heart, so he had been just as horrified when he learned that the man was to hang the very next morning. No one was allowed to see or talk to Sparrow, Beckett obviously aware of Sparrow's charms and ability to charm a wail to not swallow him but instead of taking him to shore, so he wasn't taking any chances. Jack will have a really tough time escaping from this one.

"Sir, what are we going to do?" Groves questioned after a full minute of silence. Around them, the other patrons of the pub were loud and rowdy, enjoying their drinks and gossiping about the 'notorious criminal' that will be executed on the morrow.

"Do, Lieutenant Groves?" The Admiral echoed with an arched eyebrow, looking up from his rum. He had developed a taste for it in Tortuga and now found it far better than brandy or wine. Tastes change, it would seem. Just like people and their perspectives do. Just like roles and outfits do. "Might I remind you that we are officers of his Majesty's Royal Navy and are bound by the law we ourselves are supposed to uphold?"

"But sir-"

"He's a pirate." He cut him off again, although the word pirate once used to be spat out like a poison.

"He's a good man." Groves immediately countered, determined to get his point across. "A good man that had probably saved our lives more than we are aware of. For one, he never attacked any English ships or settlements since he regained his ship. He never killed anyone or raped a woman. He doesn't deserve to just _die_ like this, sir! Come on, James!" He urged, even going so far as to take the Admiral by the shoulders across their table, on the verge of shaking him to get some sense into him. "You yourself admitted that he was better than any other pirate by _leagues_! You told me about how he treats his crew, how he doesn't kill unless he doesn't have a choice! How he is only trying to survive but how he would never sacrifice his crew for himself. And I heard what the other sailors from the Flying Dutchman are saying, the stories they heard from the cursed crew; how he had stayed behind and faced the Kraken on his ship while the crew rowed away. Surely a man like that can't be lost like this?"

"It's, unfortunately, out of our hands, now, Lieutenant Groves. We can't do anything for Captain Sparrow without dooming ourselves as well." James told him coldly, a firm glare on his face. Didn't Groves understand that he himself wasn't eager to see Sparrow hang? Yes, he had always considered Sparrow no more than an annoyance that needed to be taken care of once and for all, one way or another, but being put in the man's shoes, on his ship, watching that horizon Jack was always looking towards ... It had indeed changed his opinion of the infamous Captain. Yes, he knew Jack Sparrow quite well: he was a pirate, a scalawag, a thief, a liar that actually never quite lied but formulated his words in such a way that let you interpret them however you wished. He was a brave coward who would actually rather not waste human life on meaningless battles and instead of sharp blades use his even sharper tongue. He was a man who knew what he wanted and who wasn't afraid of going after it, even when skeleton pirates that can't die were after him. He was also one of the most loyal men, a devoted friend that should be treasured but was instead too often betrayed by those he called friends because he was so open and ready to trust. You could _read_ all his emotions on his face and in his eyes. For a pirate, he was so strange.

"What if we could, sir?" Theodor inquired. "Lord Beckett said he wanted to speak with Captain Sparrow alone in his cabin to ask him about the Brethren Court and then arrested him right after. The Pearl left a few minutes later. He must have not revealed anything and so Lord Beckett is sentencing him to death."

"He's being sentenced to death because he is a _pirate_ , Theodor." But even as he said it, he felt doubt begin to fester in his chest. He had had a few personal dealings and in depth conversations with Lord Cutler Beckett and what he had once looked over as not his business, his time in Tortuga had taught him that _nothing_ can be overlooked. His dealings with _Sparrow_ taught him to pay attention to _everything_. And Beckett left him uncomfortable, no matter what their interactions were.

"Just ... Think about it, my friend." The Lieutenant insisted with a sigh, leaning back in his seat. "Do you think he would leave _you_ to your death after you were a part of his crew?"

"I betrayed and tricked him, Theo." James countered with a sigh of his own, although his was closer to a melancholy one than Groves' was. "There is no way he would come for me after that." And he was startled at the regret he felt, as well as the sorrow he got from that thought. He was sure, however, that he more than deserved it to lose whatever respect or regard he had from the pirate. He had, after all, betrayed them all, took the heart of Devy Jones and handed it over to Beckett while leaving Sparrow to his fate. The news of his death by the Kraken had left him confined within his office for two days. And he learned about it from _Jones_ of all people! He had had to resist the strange urge to sock the man right then and there as he boasted around about being the one to finally deliver Jack Sparrow to death's door. He had never thought he would develop such a sense of loyalty towards the man that had essentially ruined both his career and his life.

Although he _did_ acknowledge that Sparrow had a point in regards to William Turner's role in it all. In the end, it didn't really matter. Sparrow had died and Turner was an outlaw. Now Sparrow was alive and Norrington ... Well, he wanted to speak with the man but he knew he wouldn't be getting an opportunity to do that. Everyone knew that Lord Beckett wanted Sparrow to be utterly isolated until it was time to hang him. He shuddered in horror as a thought occurred to him. Did that mean no one had given him any food or water in _four days_? Was Sparrow even alive still to be hanged?

"Didn't Turner leave him for dead with the crew that had marooned him on a spit of an island in the first place and yet he had still fought for the boy's life?" The other man replied with a slight grin on his face. "And didn't he still protect Miss Swann even after she tricked him and practically delivered him to us on a silver platter? He seems like a loyal friend to me, one anyone would want. Blimey, didn't he only help Turner because he was friends with the lad's father? I think he would have helped you, still, despite you 'betraying' him. Don't pirates do the whole 'do right by yourself' thing?"

"Lieutenant Groves," the Admiral said with clear amusement and mock reprimanding in his tone. "Are you instigating that I am a pirate?"

Groves just grinned, glad to have at least lifted his friend's mood, if only a little. "Wouldn't dream of it, sir." But their humor was short lived as they overheard some of the other patrons of the pub start joking around about the upcoming execution. Norrington glared at a man who used his bandanna to act out the sudden stop that broke the neck while bulging out his eyes and making choking sounds around his stuck out tongue. He felt like going over there and slapping the man or punching him, but this was not Tortuga and he was an Admiral now. Just a couple of years ago, he would have been thrilled with his calling but all he longed for now was the open sea and only one commander to answer to, the freedom to go wherever he wanted and do whatever he pleased without fearing for his good name. Nothing seemed enough now. The brandy wasn't alcoholic enough. His ship didn't sway enough for him to sleep comfortably. His uniform didn't allow enough movement or air. His wig didn't let enough wind through to his real hair. His victories were nowhere near satisfying enough. "Are we really not going to do anything, sir? About Sparrow?"

James hesitated before taking a sip of his ale. Still nowhere near as satisfying as Tortuga's rum - that was some stuff - but it was definitely better than the watered down brandy he had around. He thought it over once more before shaking his head and meeting Theodor's expectant eyes without any expression of his own. He could see the moment the Lieutenant's hope flickered out of his eyes but James didn't change his own expression the tiniest bit.

"I'll speak with Lord Beckett in the morning to perhaps convince him to at least postpone it a bit until someone comes to save Mr Sparrow-"

"Captain," Groves corrected as unconsciously as anyone who had ever heard the man himself protest it time and time again did but Norrington paid him no mind.

"Or he finds a way to save himself. Either way, I believe you are right. We can't just stand by and watch as he hangs. Our jobs would have no meaning without pirates to chase them and I rather like the New World."

"Does this mean?" Theodor didn't finish his excitable question as a smile spread over his face, joy dawning his young face.

"Indeed, Lieutenant Groves." Norrington hid a smirk behind his ale. "It is time for us to be in Mr Turner's shoes and save the notorious Captain Jack Sparrow."

"I'll drink to that!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

The turn up for the execution the following morning sickened Norrington to his gut. Despite seeing dozens if not hundreds of executions, James had never enjoyed watching them. He had a duty to fulfill and he couldn't let either his men or his enemies learn he had a weak stomach regarding a kill as cold-blooded as the executions were. He had no choice to attend but he never understood why or how these people, ordinary civilians who wouldn't stand a ghost of a chance against a _pirate child_ could come to watch the death of a man they might not have even heard of before his name and sins were read in his last moments. They brought their _children_ to watch! By God, was nothing _sacred_ to them? What child should be brought to see death at its ugliest to tarnish their precious innocence? There were even newborn _babies_ here! And not just in the arms of poor mothers who could not afford to leave their kids at home - although they _could_ have just stayed at home with them instead of coming here - but also infants of the few rich families that have come to see the hanging, the children crying in protest in their nannies' arms.

There were even children _rooting_ and _cheering_ for the hanging to be sped up. It chilled Norrington to his bones more than even his first encounter with Barbossa's skeleton crew had, or any time he had to spend more than five minutes alone with Devy Jones. Perhaps this was how pirates came to be, the bad kind - the killers, rapers and tormentors, such a different kind to Sparrow and his crew - mere normal children coming the see these gruesome sights and something in their little minds snapping when they began enjoying seeing death.

He wondered what had gotten Jack Sparrow to become a pirate for a moment before shaking his head and continuing on his journey towards Cutler Beckett. The square that housed the executions was smaller than the one in Port Royal but people made up for lack of space by occupying windows and rooftops so they could have a clear view of the hangman as he prepared the nose. Lord Beckett was seated in a beautiful plush chair on the other side of the square with a perfect view of the gallows, four red jackets guarding him on either side and behind his back and Ian Mercer at his right hand. Both men were obviously enjoying themselves under the shades of the umbrellas a couple of servants - or were those Africans slaves, James wondered with repulsion - were holding over their heads, anticipating the moment the condemned appeared.

James' stomach was rolling just at the thought of it. Still, he marched on until he stood on Beckett's left side and leaned down so he can speak more lowly yet the smaller man can still hear him. "Lord Beckett, if I could have a word with you?"

"Ah, Admiral Norrington," Beckett said with some strange cheer in his voice, only managing to make James even more disgusted with him but he did his best not to show it. "I was wondering when you would join us. You've made it just in time. The show is about to begin any moment now." As if that were some sort of signal, Jack Sparrow himself, chained, near dehydrated and starved for the total of five days, with a few bruises that were not there when Theodor had last seen him on his face appeared in the square, dragged along by two meaty prison guards towards the gallows through the sneering crowd. James couldn't stop himself from analyzing every aspect of the man and his blood somehow both boiled and turned to ice as he realized Sparrow was more being held up by his captors than he was standing on his own two feet. He was beaten and starved, weakened for five days so he could not try anything. Whatever leftover respect Norrington had held for his own fellow officers vanished when one of the guards pulled on the pirates shoulder with enough strength to dislocate it. His respect for Sparrow, however, intensified when no sound and barely a wince escaped him despite the pain that must have caused. Perhaps it was even welcome as opposed to the stomach aches he must be experiencing after so long without food and water. They must have given him _some_ water over the past few days or else he would be dead by now ... or had he been forced to drink his own-

He cut that thought off before he was tempted to run both Beckett and Mercer through with the blade Turner himself had made. That would not help Jack now at all. "Actually, I wished to speak to you about Mr Sparrow himself. I believe we are throwing away a good tactical advantage and leverage by killing him so swiftly. We may have a use from him yet."

"Ah, yes. Jack." The seated man never looked away from the weakened but still straight form of Jack Sparrow as he spoke. "Unfortunately, as useful as Jack could have been to us, he is too much of a loose cannon, a _danger_ to the Company and all we stand for to be left alive."

James froze, looking over to Beckett with cold suspicion. "How so, my Lord?"

"Well, you see, Admiral Norrington, Captain Sparrow has unfortunately learned of one of _our_ tactical weaknesses instead of offering one of the Brethren's. Now, if only he would tell us _something_ about the Brethern Court, he might have been granted clemency, but instead he protects them, is stubbornly and persistently keeping their secrets." Beckett didn't sound at all happy about that and James wondered what Sparrow could have learned to displease him enough to throw away the only source of information they could have had at all. "Therefore, he is of no use to us except to make an example of what will happen to the Court if they do not surrender to us. It is not so hard to keep their lives. They only need to swear their loyalty to the Company and they would be left alone. Anyone who opposes me, well ... We have Devy Jones to take care of them, as well as you, Admiral. You _are_ the scourge of pirates, are you not?" He said presently and Norrington's eyes became as cold and unforgiving as the winter sea. His fury only got worse when the nose was placed around Jack's head and tightened, finishing the preparations for the hanging while his crimes - silly, really, in comparison to the criminals usually standing in his place and yet the crowd booed him all the same - were read out loud for all to hear. Despite his pain, defiance was still shining in those near black eyes of his although James wondered if he could even see straight in front of his nose. It was known to happen when a person is not allowed to eat for as long as Sparrow was starved.

"But wouldn't a greater example be made of him if he were put to rot in prison?" He asked, once again tearing his gaze away from the pirate captain. "After all, Jack Sparrow represents freedom among pirates more than anything else. Surely imprisoning freedom itself will be a greater message?"

"Perhaps, but as long as he lives, the possibility of the information he learned spreading is too big. As it is now, he will take this information with him to the grave, so to speak, and no one shall learn it, meaning we can keep our tactical weakness a secret and as such an advantage."

"So Sparrow is to die not because he is a pirate but because he learned something he shouldn't have?" Norrington asked to make sure he got everything right just as the words "May the gracious Lord have mercy on your soul," were uttered and the drums sped up. Beckett nodded distractedly and that was all James needed. "Excuse me," he said and without waiting for a reply, made haste towards the gallows, pushing people and ordering them out of the way as he hurried towards where Jack was about to be dropped. For a moment he feared he was too late, especially when he heard Mercer calling out for guards and Jack's head snapped around, black eyes trying to focus in on him when the first sounds of cannon fire reached his ears just before the cannonballs hit the small fort. The impact caused many people to lose their balance and footing, falling over or onto each other, including the hangman over the railing, leaving Jack alone up on the gallows. More cannon fire followed, from two different ships, Norrington noted absently as he climbed the gallows as quickly as he could. It was only a matter of time before the soldiers got their barings back together and started shooting at them so he took his chance to free sparrow of the nose and start dragging him off the gallows.

He saw the cannonball making its way towards the gallows at the last moment and he grabbed Sparrow and all but hauled him over the railing just as the metal ball hit, destroying the gallows in a mimicry of the fate of Sparrow's intended gallows in Port Royal when the Black Pearl had attacked it the first time. He had made sure to cushion the fall for his precious burden, which left him quite winded for a few moments before he pushed himself up and tried to drag Sparrow to his feet as well. But the pirate was too weakened to save himself so, knowing they were short on time, James hauled the man up into his arms and started carrying him out of there. He was startled and worried about how light the man was but he couldn't do anything about it unless he managed to get the man safely out of here.

He heard shouts behind them over the cannon fire, Beckett demanding that they both be brought back but Norrington ignored it as he ran through the unfamiliar streets of the little harbor town. Thankfully, he was able to hide in a few houses on the poor side while soldiers ran pass right outside of the front doors, catching his breath. At the last house they made a stop at, he took the time to throw off his stupid hat and wig and loosen up his cravat and jacket, amazed with how much easier it was to breathe. He found it ironic that dust and some dirt now clung to his previously clean uniform but he wasn't upset as he would have once been. He'd had worst just before he'd left Tortuga aboard the Black Pearl, after all.

"Norrington?" Came the confused voice of his companion, scratchy and far weaker than James was used to. Sparrow was looking at him through glass eyes, smacking his lips in thirst and James immediately scrambled to his feet to search for some water. A moment later, he came back with a tankard of water and carefully put it to Jack's lips. The man drank greedily but not too fast as to not make himself sick. James was relieved to see him finish the water, meaning Jack had gotten at least _some_ water during his imprisonment. He left Jack's side once more to let him breathe before he returned with a small loaf of bread and handed it to the pirate, watching him eat it whole with little nibbles. To his further relief, Jack finished almost the whole loaf, too, and when those black eyes met his again, they were already far more focused then they used to be. "W-what are you doing?"

"Saving you, you imbecile," he replied, too distracted in his relief to notice the eloquent way in which Sparrow had just spoken instead of his usual drunken drawl. "Can you run?"

"Not with these things," Sparrow replied with a jiggle of the shackles around both his ankles and wrists. "This will ruin you, mate. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I am not overly fond of the Navy as of late, Sparrow." He replied, glad the other hadn't asked him _why_ he was doing it. That was harder to answer.

Sparrow gave him a strange knowing little smile that sent a strange feeling through Norrinton's chest. "Not willing to give up your freedom, eh? _Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life's for Norrie_."

James couldn't help but snort with laughter at that but didn't contradict it. "Someone else came to your rescue, I think. Perhaps we will get help from them to leave."

Jack nodded along. "I'd recognize those cannons anywhere. 'Tis the Pearl."

"I suspected as much. What about the other ship? Any ideas?"

"Probably the Ghost. She's the stealthiest vessel in the seal. Dark blue as the ocean with near white light blue sails to blend in with the horizon. Slower than the Pearl but with a shallower bottom. Don't look much like a pirate ship, either, but she sails under the Caribbean's colors." James had heard very little about the Ghost except that she and her crew could sail into any port unnoticed and raid it without people being any wiser until it left and they saw half of their possessions were missing. They rarely killed but rumors said their cannons were somehow muted. That, however, cost them on range, but a shallow bottom must help in raids. It mostly attacked settlements and only rare few ships. "I know the captain. Hugo would definitely come for me if someone asked him for help. Mr Gibbs must have decided he would rather face both Barbossa and all of Beckett's forces than go before my father just to tell him his recently revived son was left to die again. He's got more self preservation than most would think, what with him following me around on my adventures for quite a few years now."

"So both ships are allies?" Norrington had to make sure so he would know whether he could jump on either ship. If the Ghost had a shallower belly, they would be closer and he'd rather not jump into the hands of bloodthirsty pirates, thank you very much.

"Aye, mine more so than Barbossa's. We'd be safe with them." He glared down at his shackles. "Now if only I could get out of these infernal things."

James was about to ask him if he could break out of the shackles if he had some tools to help himself to when they both jumped in startlement as someone started pounding on the door.

"Blast."


	4. Chapter 4

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"James!" A voice joined the frantic knocks a second later, followed by barks and what sounded like a dog scratching on the door. "Open the door, James!"

"Theodor!" The ex-Admiral cried in relief, moving his companion out of the way so he can let Groves slither in, along with a mutt that looked suspiciously familiar. It had a ring of keys in its mouth and it made a straight line for Jack, licking his face as soon as it deposited the keys in his awaiting hands.

"Good Doggy," Sparrow praised almost affectionately with a little scratch to the dog's head before getting to work to free himself. The dog calmed down and just sat next to the pirate, waiting patiently.

James turned to his friend. "How did you find us?"

"I didn't. The dog led me here." Theodor replied, pointing to the said animal now licking Sparrow's face and asking for pets as soon as his hands were free. The Lieutenant's eyes grew wide when they fully took in the pirate's current state. "Captain Sparrow?" His voice was shaky, drawing Jack's attention. You could _feel_ it when both ex-navy men slumped in relief as the man's usual smile lit up his face.

"Hello, lad. Fancy seein' you 'ere!" It would seem that the water and food had done him quite a bit of good and the animal pining for his attention was definitely a plus. "Down, Doggy, down. I need t' free me feet." Strangely enough, the mutt that Norrington was now pretty sure was the same one from the prison in Port Royal listened and sat by Sparrow's side, letting the pirate work on his feet. "Now, if I may ask, wot in the world got in'o you two to risk yer lives for ol' Jack?" His eyes sprang up for just a moment to regard them both before going back to the task at hand, one foot free and dealing with the other one. "Last time I checked - and that may be a long time ago, fer all I know - the Navy _hung_ pirates, not 'elped them escape. Not that I'm complainin' or nothin'. Jus' sayin'."

"We don't support Beckett," Theodor replied immediately, only for a partially scandalized James to cut him off.

"Theodor! Don't say it like that!"

"But that's how it is!"

"Yes, but it makes us sound like mutineers!"

"James," the other said a bit hesitatingly. "We kind of _are_ , now. Mutineers, that is. We _did_ overrule our commanders direct orders by freeing Captain Sparrow."

"Some'ow I doubt anyone told ye you are not allowed to free me, mate." The said Captain piped up, now free of his shackles and petting the dog again. "Good Doggy. Here you go. Off wiff ye now." The dog let out a bark before disappearing further into the house. Even a few minutes later it didn't return, so it must have left on its own.

"It's an obvious, unsaid order."

"Are ye mind readers?" The dark man arched an eyebrow at the young officers.

"... I see your point." Jack just smirked cheekily at them, causing Theo to guff out a laugh and James to roll his eyes. "So, any ideas how to get all the way down to the ships? Anyone?"

"We should jus' get movin' while there's still cannon fire." Jack said a lot more seriously. "Not even the Ghost and the Pearl can keep yer Navy boys away for long. We won't 'ave much time so we better get goin'."

"Right," the two ex-navy men replied, getting to their feet. Theodor paused, revealing a sack he'd been carrying around from underneath his coat and presenting it to the pirate.

"Your effects, Captain Sparrow."

Jack smiled up at him as he took out his coat, tricorne hat, pistol, sword and, most important of all, his compass. "Th'nk ye, lad. Ye jus' saved me a boatload of trouble. An' provided us wiff a way out, too! An' you should jus' call me Jack. You _did_ save me life, you two did."

"What do you mean?" James and Theo synchronized and Jack smiled at them. When he saw that the Black Pearl's Captain was opening his mouth with a raised finger to spew out some drabble, Norrington rolled his eyes. "The compass, Sparrow. The compass and the way out."

"Jack," said man reprimanded, shaking above mentioned finger in Norrington's face. "Me name's Jack. And ye already know me compass is unique, that it points towards what ye want mos' in the world. An' right now wot I want most is to escape 'ere, so it will show us a way out! Handy thing' this one." He said with a cares to his compass before quickly putting his effects into their right places, compass still in hand. "Right. Off we go."

James caught him just as he tried to stand but his legs gave out from under him. After five days of no food and very little water, it was no surprise that he couldn't hold himself up even after he ate and drank. His body didn't have enough nutritions to help him function properly and he had lost a lot of weight. It will be quite a few days before he can do any of his usual stunts without getting himself killed or simply collapsing. "It would seem I will have to carry you like a sack of potatoes, Sparrow."

" _Jack_ ," Jack insisted but didn't protest when Norrington picked him off his feet into a bridal carry despite his earlier words. Groves held on tightly to his sword and pistol, realizing that he was their only real defense should they run into trouble. The three men exchanged looks between themselves before nodding that they were ready and exiting the house, right onto the somewhat chaotic streets. They managed to avoid any soldiers but a few foolish civilians recognized either Jack or James from the gallows and tried to stop or kill them in a stupid show of 'bravery'. A few of the people Groves had to fight off were pirates, not ones here to help the almost executed pirate, but pirates that either spoke of revenge or using Jack as leverage or a bargaining chip. Groves either cut them off or shot them or they fell to Jack's own pistol as said Captain guided them with his compass through the streets.

Just as they were about to leave the last street before they could enter the harbor, a group of what was obviously pirates jumped out from a side street right in front of them, cutlasses and pistols pointed at them with killing intent. Correction, pointed at _Norrington_ and _Groves_ with killing intent. The leading pirate, a man perhaps in his fifties of African heritage, had his beady eyes trained on the man held in the now ex-Admiral's arms and there was both worry and relief warring in them.

"Kill them," he ordered in a gruff, heavily accented voice and his men moved to end Norrington's and Groves' lives when Sparrow cut them off.

"Wait! Wait wait wait wait wait!" The Pearl's Captain repeated over and over again until the men lowered their pistols and blades from being level with the two uniformed men's hears or throats. "Don't kill them! They saved me life back there! Adam, tell them to put their weapons away!"

"They be mates of yeis, Jacky?" The leader, Adam, asked suspiciously, eying the uniforms Jack's two companions were wearing. Sparrow just nodded.

"Aye. This one," he pointed on bejeweled finger at Norrington's face, managing to smack his nose in the process in a manner that almost made James drop him in retaliation had he not caught on that Jack was trying to vouch for them. He doubted dropping Jack would help his and Theodor's predicament and it would certainly be bad for Jack himself, battered and bruised as he was. "Used to be a part of me crew. He got distressed over me being executed so he decided to help me out. It kind of coincidenced with you guys' actions but worked out for the better. He," he then pointed at the nervous Groves. "He's his mate so he's my mate, too, savvy?" The grin sent Adam's and his men's way was a bit sharper than Norrington was used to from Sparrow but it sent a clear message that he was surprised these pirates followed: he and Theodor were off limits, back off.

"Then let's go. The Ghost will soon leave the port. This is our last chance to get out of here." Adam said grimly and with one final suspicious glance at the two uniformed men he spun around on his heels to lead the rest of the way to the ship. The cannons of the Ghost were still firing from the harbor, assaulting the military _and_ merchant vessels docked there and they stood no chance. The little fort itself was being attacked by both the short ranged cannons of the Ghost that sounded merely as an echo of the long ranged Black Pearl's cannons and the black ships own cannons in an effort to save her Captain a little further out at sea.

"I can't believe I am seeing the famous _Ghost_!" Groves whispered to James and Jack as they held back while the group of pirates dealt with the last of the marines trying to stop them from escaping.

"Wot? Not excited about me Pearl anymore? I'm offended." Jack joked as he shot a man in the shoulder, the impact causing him to fall into the bay but James was sure he was alive.

Theodor looked flustered and horrified to have implied a lack of respect towards his 'celebrity' pirate's beloved ship and Jack just laughed at him as they finally reached the end of the dock. A boat was waiting for them to take them to the slowly turning Ghost. The Pearl was providing cover fire now and pirates were scaling other ships and boats to get back to the blue ship. The pirate manning the boat swore as he untied the little boat and helped them get in. Within a minute, he and another man were rowing them towards the slowly departing ship. The crew of the Ghost were awaiting them with ready ropes and before either ex-navy man knew it, they were being hauled right out of the sea. By the time the Ghost was clearing the docks completely, the Black Pearl had turned around, catching the wind with full sails, still firing from its back cannons.

The pirates cheered when they finally got out of range of the fort's cannons, even as they only just then began returning fire. The fort was too small and so out of the way of all merchant ways that it didn't need much soldiers to man it. The hanging that was to take place was probably the biggest event in the past few years and an additional insult to Sparrow for being executed in such a, well, _dump_ in comparison to Port Royal. Said man was still in Norrington's arms when they exited the rowboat onto the deck.

The cheering stopped when the pirates saw the two blue uniforms, countless pistols and swords and axes being pointed at them yet again. The two ex-marines froze, awaiting pain or death while Sparrow was being wrestled out of the former Admiral's grip by a tall, muscular man that appeared to be of Spanish or Portuguese origin. He had black hair and sun kissed skin and would have been truly a very handsome man in his early sixties had one of his eyes not been white with blindness and a scar ran down the left side of his face. He was touching Sparrow all over, as though cataloging any damage done to the smaller man while his crew - for the hat he wore obviously declared him the Captain of this fine ship, what with its feather that matched the sails in color - glowered at them.

"Parley?" Theodor suggested rather meekly and Norrington began to wonder just when the hell had they became real, actual, official pirates.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"Who are _you_ two? Why are you on my ship? What have you done to Jacky?" Captain Hugo of the Ghost demanded in a cold voice, holding onto Jack as though Sparrow was going to up and disappear any minute. Seeing as he _did_ have a tendency to do just that, perhaps his fears were not unfounded. Especially since he had been dead just a few days ago.

"Only pirates can ask for parley," one of the crew members sneered at the two ex-officers and James glared right back at him with all his might.

"They are!" Jack piped up from behind Hugo, who was protectively standing in front of the younger Captain now but still holding onto his upper arm with a vice grip. "James there was once a part of me crew and he saved me with the help of his mate, who is also my mate, Theo. They're pirates! That's jus' a disguise so they could get to me unnoticed to 'elp. They're good pirates." Those black eyes of his moved to meet Norrington's and the once Admiral felt his breath hitch. "Good men. I'd 'ppreciate it if ye'd not kill 'em. Their sort is 'ard to come by."

Hugo grunted derisively but ordered his men to stand down. James and Theodor relaxed as they were no longer facing the barrels of numerous pistols and just watched with the rest of the crew as the sixty something year old Captain turned to the recently revived one.

"Barbossa and I have an accord to meet at a place called Isla de Muerta to deliver you back to your ship. I am told only _you_ can guide us there." Hugo retold in a gruff voice with a Spanish accent, now fully facing Sparrow. "I hope you can get in a good word for me with the Keeper. I may have gotten into a bit of trouble while running away from the Dutchman."

"It will be my genuine pleasure and I am sure the Keeper won't hold it against you." Jack replied seriously yet with a small smile, as though he was sharing a part of a juicy secret. It shouldn't have looked so attractive, was all Norrington could think.

Hugo beamed at the younger man and swept him up into a hug. "Gracias, mi amigo! I am in your dept."

"Come now!" Jack laughed and the crew relaxed further, finally sheeting their weapons as they watched the two Captains interact. "You bloody well helped raise me at one point! Think nothin' of it, mate!"

The Spanish man laughed and ordered his crew to get Jack some rum while leading said pirate up to the wheel. James and Theodor exchanged uncertain looks before following after them, well aware of the suspicious stares of the crew but doing their best to ignore them. Hugo left not long after Jack took the helm and opened that magical compass of his to lead the way, leaving the three Englishman to themselves. The crew went about their business, taking orders from either Captain so they could stay on course.

"What was that all about?" Theodor finally broke the silence between them after a good half an hour of just standing warily there, watching the crew.

Jack didn't look up from his compass as he adjusted their course but he answered anyway. "Hugo and Adam worked for me father when I were young. Hugo in particular practically raised me with me da'. Used to be his first mate until da' commandeered a ship for 'im. He's not ever left that ship ever since. He took Adam wiff 'im and they've enforced the Code in 'is name since. 'Tis the first time I've met 'em since I was maybe fifteen."

" _Your_ father commandeered the _Ghost_!?" Both ex Navy officers were fairly gapping at the laughing darker skinned man, drawing a few arched eyebrows and strange glances their way.

"'Course he did, lad! Me da' be a good pirate! He's jus' not into it anymore. Has other business to attend to." The tone he used to say it suggested that he would not say any more on the topic but was open for further questions. From when he had served on the Pearl on that one voyage, Norrington had gotten the impression that Jack loved answering questions but always found a way to avoid telling anything about his earlier years, before the Black Pearl and all his adventures since. This was possibly the most anyone had ever heard of his youth.

"And what is this ... Code you're talking about? You mentioned it before once or twice." James asked this time, recalling some of the stranger conversations going on around the Black Pearl. Half of what they used to talk about and say was so contradictory or made very little sense that to this day James had no idea what this 'Code' was supposed to be.

"Ah, the Code, the Pirata Codex!" The flamboyant pirate grinned at James, as though pleased by the question. "Written by the Pirate Lords Morgan and Bartholomew during the Second Brethren Court, meant to put in some 'law', rules into the chaos that is the pirate life, upheld by the Keeper and his most loyal men ... That is, _if_ the Pirate Lords can't keep to it as well as the pirates that sail under their banner. Breaking and disrespecting the Code in any way could lead to severe punishment, much like how you guys do things, only with more freedom for everyone."

"Mr Hugo had mentioned the Keeper, too, and I recall Lor- Beckett mentioning these ' Pirate Lords' as well. Something about a song and the Pirate Lords? I don't recall it well." Theo questioned next with a confused frown on his face, looking expectantly at Jack for an answer.

"The Keeper of the Code is a specially selected member of the Brethren Court or selected _by_ the Court to uphold the peace by making sure everyone follows the Code." Sparrow began, cutting his explanation off to shout out an order to turn the sails so they could get more wind in and increase their speed while adjusting their course with a sharper turn of the wheel. "The Keeper of the Code stays within Shipwreck Cove - where we will have to head as of now, whether we wanted to or not - to protect the Codex and keep the Shipwreck Fort ready for the eventual return of the Pirate Lords when the next time the Song is sang. The Song is sang only when our - the pirates' - way of life is threatened. The Pirate Lords, now _we_ are an interesting bunch." He chuckled for a moment, letting all he had just said sink in. Brown and green eyes bulged as they registered his last sentence.

" _You're_ one of the Pirate Lords?" The chorused in sync, flabbergasted once again by Captain Jack Sparrow and secretly wondering _why_ they were even surprised. They should be used to this by now.

Jack just chuckled at them again. "Aye, one of the nine. The Brethren Court is composed of the nine greatest pirates in the seven seas and we have our own 'territory' to 'lord over'. We don't have any actual sway over anyone that lurks in our waters but when the Brethren Court is called together, they are kind of _required_ to come with us to Shipwreck Cove and fight with us if it comes to that."

"So how are the 'territories' divided?"

"The Pirate Lords all get one region to call their own. The Black Sea, the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea, the Adriatic Sea. I meself am the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean Sea and Barbossa - yes, _that_ Barbossa - is the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea. We all must answer the call if the Song is sang. Failing to do so will just make the rest of us stuck in Shipwreck Cove until they come or the Keeper of the Code sends someone to get them. But everyone knows that won't be pleasant so they usually come on their own."

"Do you know the other Pirate Lords?"

"Of course." He didn't say anything after that so they left that topic alone.

"But how do you know when you have to meet?" Theodor, ever as fascinated by pirates, couldn't help but ask one more question.

"The Song, mate, the Song!" Sparrow answered with great flourish. "When a larger group of pirates sings the Song, we know our way of life is in danger and that we must meet."

"But _how_ do you know it's been sang?" It was James who insisted this time. Jack just reached into his coat and pulled out a strange coin, tossing it to the ex-Admiral. He gestured for Norrington to put it next to his ear and listen while he gave a very simple answer.

"Magic, luv, _magic_."

Norrington's eyes widened when he realized the coin was humming.

00000

"Thank th' se'en winds! It's Jack!" Those were the first words that come from the already anchored Black Pearl some hundred miles from Isla de Muerta, the island itself still only a vague figure in the distance. The person who those words belong to was a rather excited Gibbs, who was grinning at them madly from the stairs leading up to the helm from the main deck, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann a few steps above. The old sailor was making a quick beeline towards the plank that was being fixed between the Ghost and the Black Pearl for Jack and his companions to cross.

"Welcome back, Captain!" Marty shouted.

"Arrgh! Caotain on the deck! Captain on the deck!" Mr Cotton's parrot screeched as the reat of the crew cheered.

"Good. Yer alive." Barbossa grunted from the helm, unaware of the Ghost's crew's eyes narrowed in a glare at him. "Wouldn't want yer piece t' be lost t' us jus' after we got ye back." The monkey on his shoulder chittered in agreement and Jack made a face at the pair.

"Wot's dat traitor doin' 'ere!?" Pintel shouted, pointing at Norrington in accusation, drawing everyone's attention. Sparrow winced when he practically _felt_ Adam's and Hugo's glares turn to James at his back.

"He saved me life so he and his friend will be joinin' us to Shipwreck Cove!" Jack announced, not looking at his two young friends as Elizabeth and Will stared at the once-Commodore-then-pirate-and-then-Admiral-but-again-pirate at his side and his most loyal man right next to him. Jack paid them all no heed, whirling around to signal two of his crew to lift the plank and then waved to Hugo. "See ye at the Cove, mate! I'll talk to the Keeper fer ya!"

Hugo replied by spewing what sounded like a string of curses as they floated away, setting course East of where they currently were. Jack just laughed as he bounded up to the helm, taking over from Mr Cotton with glee. "Wot are ye waitin' fer, ya scalawags! Get t' work! Scrub the deck! Strap those cannons, we're goin' for speed, boys! We're goin' faster than ev'r befor'! Wind in full sails, me harties! Shipwreck Cove awaits!"

As the pirates scrambled about to do as ordered, Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth, Gibbs, James, Theodor and Tia Dalma came up to the helm where the ship's Captain was steering her with ease towards the right course. All those who had seen how reluctant Jack had been to going to the Shipwreck Cove were staring at him suspiciously while James and Theo were looking at them all with clear confusion.

"What be it that chan'ed yer mind 'bout the Brethren Court? Ye were pretty clear 'bout wha' ye though' on the matter." The older pirate Captain questioned suspiciously, a sneer in his voice. "Why ye be changin' yer choice now?"

"Well, I chen'ed me mind when Beckett made it a personal war against me and mine. 'Sides, I now owe Hugo to talk wiff the Keeper. He seems to 'ave gotten into some trouble an' needs some 'elp from good ol' Jack. Or so he thinks but I'm not gonna say no."

"No, that can't be it." Elizabeth protested almost immediately with a perplexed frown. "There's no way it's only that. We know you, Jack. There's got to be some benefit of it for _you_ personally."

"You're not secretly leading Beckett to the Cove, are you?" William questioned with a firm, accusing voice and Jack bristled like a soaked cat.

"Excuse _you_ , dear William, but who was it that betrayed _whom_ here? In fact, _all_ of ye are disloyal lairs here! I can count on _one hand_ how many loyal men are here," he said far more vehemently than anyone would have expected of him. "And I'd still have a finger or two _free_." Elizabeth immediately flinched and drew back in on herself, drawing confused looks from the two ex Navy officers who had no idea what had actually happened aboard this very ship before the Kraken had dragged it to Devy Jones' Locker. James and Theodor weren't exactly comfortable with the topic of conversation themselves, as they had just betrayed everything they had worked for and believed in for all their lives. But Beckett was taking things too far and had turned the Navy into something they could no longer respect. Turning to piracy wasn't exactly the best way to leave it but Sparrow was in need of help and they could not leave him to his unjust fate.

"I hope you're not deluding yourself by counting yourself in there, Jack."

"Well I as sure as hell ain't countin' _you_ in there!"

"Is this really necessary?" Norrington finally snapped in in his firmest 'I'm-an-Admiral-and-you-better-listen-to-me-soldier-or-you-will-regret-it' voice, glaring at the squibbing group. "How is this supposed to be helping anyone?"

"James, what are _you_ even doing here?" Elizabeth asked instead but the man just shook his head.

"Does it really matter to you? All you care about is Turner and your pirate stories."

The lady looked affronted but James didn't budge. Theodor shifted uneasily next to his friend. "Weren't we in a hurry?"

Jack suddenly got his sunny grin back and looked out towards the horizon, presumably in the direction of their supposed destination. "He's right! Look alive, men! We've given these fine gents," an indication of his head pointed towards Norrington and Groves, earning a few snickers from his faithful crew and sneers from Sao Feng's men. "A run for their silver coins, s' we need to show 'em it ain't jus' lady Luck showin' 'er favor'tism for yer Captain! What say you, dogs of the sea?"

"Aye!" Gibbs led the cheer by the pirates, most of them outright grinning at the return of their eccentric Captain. Too long have they not sailed under the madness that is Jack Sparrow and they craved an adventure, despite none of them being willing to ever admit to it openly.

"Then hoist the colors high! Wind in the sales, men! Break out the rum! We sail for Shipwreck Cove and we're gonna need it!" Jack ordered as he turned the helm with a sharp starboard turn, grinning as his beloved Pearl set course.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"Does Jack seem to be acting strange to you?" At the look he got from Gibbs, Will Turner rolled his eyes. "I mean stranger than he usually does."

"Aye, but you mustn't forget, young Will Turner, that Jack had been to the Locker an' back." Joshamee Gibbs replied with a worried look towards his Captain and closest friend. "They say stories 'bout the Locker. Stories that give even the toughest and most experienced sailors nightmares for life."

"He didn't seem all that bad when we found him," Elizabeth joined in, having overheard their conversation. "I mean, yes, he was hallucinating but he seemed to have stopped doing that before those soldiers took him to Beckett."

"And what we know if he's hallucinatin' or not?" The old sailor countered, somewhere between trying to still be gentle with her and harsh for what she had done to Jack. Leaving a man for the Kraken ... He's not sure if he'll ever be able to accept that the woman who had done that - even to potentially save his life and lives of others in the process - was the same cute little girl who had sang the pirate song and spoke of them with such wonder on her young face. "Jack be better at hidin' things he don't want others t' know than ye may imagine. His stories ... the ones I've heard 'bout him or _from_ him ... He ne'er tells the story in as much detail as he could. Jus't lets you come to yer own conclusions and complete the image of Capt'n Jack Sparrow as ye please. There's so much 'bout him even _I_ don't know. He could be really bad off and we'd not know 'ntil 'tis too late."

The guilt Elizabeth had been trying to fend off for a long while at what she had done that had abated a little once the man was saved and alive returned full force and she looked over to Jack. She wondered what a person like Jack Sparrow would fear. The Locker hadn't seemed so bad from where they were standing. Just a small beach they got washed out on and what appeared to be miles upon miles of desert that Jack had seemingly impossibly sailed just to get to the sea he loved so much-

Both men threw her worried looks when she went as still as a board, wide eyes trained on the Captain who seemed to have his endlessly black eyes stuck on the sea, taking in her beauty, her color, her shine.

"Jack Sparrow be one ov da few men who love da sea so much dat its absence could make dem go mad." Gibbs and Will jumped in surprise when Tia Dama spoke up behind them, having crept up on them as silently as death ... or the tides. "Witty Jack loves him Black Pearl even more den da sea, but da Black Pearl cannot sail widouth the sea. Dey be him two mistresses, or rather de sea is him mistress and de Pearl be him wife." She spoke fondly as she came around the two stunned men to stand by Elizabeth's side, watching Jack as he turned to yell at Marty to tighten a knot on the sails that had been loosened during their 'Up is Down' episode. "Dey get along but both be very possessive of him. Jack Sparrow is to die at sea on him Pearl."

"Aye. The Capt'n wouldn't be happier otherwise." Gibbs agreed. "His family, on the other hand ... "

"Jack has a family?"

Gibbs laughed at that, warmly. He seems to have forgotten his ill will against the two for the moment, as he was want to do whenever he got to tell a story about his Captain. "Aye! Not even the great Captain Jack Sparrow can jus' come to exist on 'is own!"

"I must admit to the doubt I had in that regard." It was Elizabeth and Will that jumped this time while Tia Dalma just smiled. Gibbs grew slightly tenser but still remained mostly relaxed as James and Theodor came to stand with the group, finally having deemed it safe to leave Jack's side without fearing for their lives. "Mind if we join in on this story?"

"Not at 'll." Joshamee assured him. "But I ain't got much t' tell. Jack's family consists of all pirates and they liv' in Shipwreck Cove. Jack ran away from home a few times and sailed smaller ships 'ntil they had t' come and save 'im from the Navy 'fter a friend betrayed 'im. Stayed in Shipwreck Cove 'ntil he turned eighteen I think and was with the Pear ever since. Or so 'e told me the last part. I only know he worked fer Beckett fer some time before he made that deal with Devy Jones to bring up the Pearl from the seabed. Not s'rprised he wrote off his own life fer this ship. Loves her like no other. No girl can take 'er place in his heart."

"Him wife," Tia Dalme singsonged and didn't mind when they ignored her.

"Sparrow said Beckett threatened the Pearl when he tried to get him to tell about the Brethren Court." James put in before they could divert from the topic.

"No wonder he didn't try to make a deal for himself." Elizabeth breathed with renewed respect for the black ship's captain.

"So the Black Pearl truly is Jacks?" Will wondered with a guilty frown. "I guess I better be off to do some groveling for forgiveness. I've not been a good friend lately."

"I think, Mr Turner, that Captain Sparrow would gladly help you free your father." Will gave Theodor a startled look but the ex-Lieutenant just shrugged. "It was a two and a half days voyage until we met up with you. We had time for a bit of a talk for him to catch us up on everything." A far away admiring look crossed his face. "I still can't believe he sailed a ship upside down."

James ignored his friend and instead turned to Gibbs. "Sparrow said Captain Hugo helped raise him."

"Captain Hugo sails under Captain Edward Teague himself and Captain Teague lives in Shipwreck Cove. His whole clan lives there. Captain Hugo must have stayed a good amo'nt of time there, too, and knew Jack when he was a wee baby."

"Jack grew up in Shipwreck Cove?" The newer pirates all chorused in a quartet and Gibbs and Tia Dalma snickered at them.

"Aye. That's why he be the one takin' us there and through the Passage."

"The Passage?" Turner echoed in confusion.

"Yes." The woodoo witch replied this time. "The Passage. The _Devil's Throat_ , dey call it. Swallowed many, many good sailors who tried ta pass it widouth experience or some'ne showin' dem how ta first. 'Tis de natural defense of Shipwreck Cove."

"The city itself is near impenetrable." Jack called out to them as though he had heard what they were talking about. "Can withstand any attack and a crusade fer fifty years of thousands of pirates livin' the pirate life. Has the biggest cannons I've ever seen and it's fortified against curses and other magical things entering it, so even the Flying Dutchman can't penetrate it's walls. 'Tis always fully stocked and has secret ways of growin' food that outsiders are not t' know about."

"You mean to tell me that there is a fort that could sustain fifty years of constant attack without taking any damage that _no one_ knows about?" James asked incredulously, the only one of the Port Royal quartet that could find his voice to ask. Jack snorted.

"'F course not. _Pirates_ know about it. And it can take on so much more. We just 'ave food and drinks stocked for only fifty years. We could grow more and the other guys wouldn't even know it." He said it as though it were the most normal thing in the world and not completely mind boggling. James opened his mouth, as if to say something, only to realize he had nothing to say and close it again before trying again and again. Finally, he gave up and stalked off, muttering under his breath about the completely absurd and insane world that pirates lived in.

The others couldn't help but agree.

Jack just steered his precious ship on, humming to himself.

00000

It took them another three days to finally approach the Shipwreck Island, approaching the Devil's Throat to enter the Shipwreck Cove and make harbor in Shipwreck Port in the town of Shipwreck, but it was still impressive how fast the Pearl had traveled in comparison to any ship Norrington had ever sailed except the Dutchman and even that magic ship would not have made it here as quickly. No wonder everyone wanted the Pearl, were his thoughts as he idly listened to Jack and Gibbs discussing how unimaginative pirates could be despite being 'smart' and an interesting man he had said with one, who had lost both of his hands and a half of an eye.

"What did ye call him?" He vaguely heard the older man ask as he was studying the particular look Sparrow had gotten on his face in the last few seconds as he looked towards the opposite side of the ship. He saw it was only Barbossa and Tia Dalme talking about something, although neither looked overly pleased with their discussion.

"Larry," he heard Jack answer absently before excusing himself from his first mate and swaggering his way over the entire ship in record time to the two. James saw that he was just in time to dismiss those two rats, Pintel and Ragetti if he recalled well, when they moved as though to take the strange woman away.

"I wonder what that is all about," Elizabeth commented as she came to stand by his side and he looked over to her. Over her shoulder, he could see Turner and Groves helping the crew tie up the sails so they can reduce some of the ship's speed before she enters the dangerous passage. Looking back over to the two Pirate Lords revealed that Jack had put himself physically between Tia Dalma and Barbossa and was exchanging rapid-fire words with him. Judging by the increasing of volume Barbossa's voice took on, Sparrow was winning.

"Who knows. You never know with Sparrow." He replied, never taking his eyes off of the two returned from the dead pirate captains. He found himself strangely protective of the younger one and he didn't have the slightest clue as to why. Must be because he had given up everything just to save the man's life and he didn't want all of his hard work to go to waste.

"I also can't help but wonder how _you_ ended up here." James repressed a snort. That was the subtlest that Elizabeth was ever going to get. He had once loved her for that. Now, he saw her as nothing more but a potential friend, if they survived this madness.

He did, however, pause to wonder about her inquiry. Why _had_ he followed Sparrow aboard the Ghost and then the Black Pearl? He could have stayed in the little harbor town and waited for the first ship that goes to Port Royal or Tortuga or _anywhere_ instead of directly turning pirate under the flag of Captain Jack Sparrow. But it had felt almost right to offer his servitude to the man he had tried to kill so many times but who had ultimately saved _him_ and let him aboard his beloved ship - _twice_ \- despite everything. Jack Sparrow might have involuntarily caused the end of his career and the deaths of many of his men, but it had all come down to James and his decision to chase the Pearl into the storm. The Dauntless had never been a fast enough ship to match the legendary Dark Pearl but he had arrogantly assumed that she, too, could outrun the storm. His men, so confident in his skills and so loyal, had followed his orders without a second of hesitation. James still mourned their deaths and the loss of his Dauntless.

Perhaps he had seen the same care for his ship and his crew in Sparrow. The man would never admit it, but he cared deeply for the crew aboard the Pearl and the Interceptor before her. A few were not with them now but the rest Jack guarded like a treasure. They hadn't been up for the taking when Jack had tried to bargain for his soul with a hundred others. Will had been but not his crew. Then again, William Turner the first had been on the Dutchman. Maybe it had been a charitable act to reunite father and son? You never knew with Sparrow.

"I felt compelled to help him get free, after the treatment he got. You'd never be able to tell, but he had been starved and dehydrated for almost five days before the noose came around his neck." The cold anger and disgust from first seeing the man's sorry state came back and he growled at the thought. Across the deck, Sparrow was growling at Barbossa. The black dressed pirate seemed none too pleased. Tia Dalma was smirking now, _very_ pleased.

Elizabeth looked sick as she turned her eyes away as though in shame. She must have been comparing the torture through which Sparrow had gone through at the hands of the Navy and in his last minutes before the Kraken took him - which was by her own design, no less. James felt slightly nauseous himself, as he, too, had had a hand in the death of Jack Sparrow by being the one who had taken the pirate's well earned spoils right from under his nose. Sparrow seemed to be of a too forgiving nature if he let so many traitors and betrayers take refuge on his ship.

"He's a very strange one, Jack Sparrow." He wasn't even sure what had him talking but it felt almost right, like offering his service to said man was. "You just never know what to expect of him: selfishness, selflessness, something in between, kindness, wickedness ... The man has so many faces yet he is consistent, _constant_ , ever and never changing. Very strange indeed."

Miss Swann laughed at that and he was pleased that she had - momentarily - forgotten her guilt. It will take a while before it fully abates - seeing Jack in his element and up to his old tricks again will help - but she will eventually be fine.

James hoped the same could be said for himself and his own guilt regarding their eccentric captain.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"And get out of me sight before I order you thrown overboard, the Brethren Court be damned!" Needless to say, Barbossa was so stunned by this aggressive side of the ever easygoing Captain Jack Sparrow that he actually _complied_ to the order the other had thrown at him, mouth slightly agape and eyes still wide with shock. Jack was left seething back where they had been having their fight, glaring at Barbossa's back as his mutinous first mate left, only getting out of his rage when a dainty but rough hand fell on his shoulder. Immediately regaining his composure and smile, Jack turned around to face the African like beauty of their second female passenger/crew member on his precious Black Pearl. "Ah, Tia Dalma, my luv! Please do fergive wot ye jus' seen. Dear Hector has no manners and always brings out the worst in me."

"I should be thankin' ye, Vitty Jack." The voodoo witch said seriously, erasing the practiced smile Jack showed people when he didn't want them to know what he was actually feeling. "Barbossa's been makin' some trouble fer ol' Tia Dalma an' none would've came fer me like ye did. I shouldn't 'ave brought 'im back."

Jack regarded his companion with sharp eyes, studying her now as he had when he had first met her. Back then, he had come to her with his first Captain completely independent of his family and their standing in the Shipwreck Cove and the pirate society in entirety. Captain Morgan had asked her for a way to find a ship that was magically protected by a mist and can never be taken for all the treasure she carried. Tia Dalma was famous for possessing a compass that showed the direction towards anything the person holding it desires most. But she never wanted to give it away. Captain Morgan had tried bargaining with her for it but she had refused all his offers. Ready to give up on it and take whatever she would give, Jack had offered to bargain with her in his name, privately. Tia Dalma had looked at him with suspicion and interest in equal measures but had allowed it. Morgan, although in no way connected to them but knowing just who Jack was, was hesitant to leave the young pirate boy alone with a woman hailed wide and far as being so dangerous that rare few dared go to her hut but Tia Dalma had kicked him out and locked the door behind him, leaving her and Jack alone in her swamp home.

Not five minutes later, he had exited whistling and swinging the compass around his index finger from its leather cord.

That same compass was later passed on to him by his captain but that was a story for another days.

Ever since he met Tia Dalma that first time, he had been able to smell the addictive, distinctive smell of the sea and the more he talked to her over the years as he visited her from time to time, she reminded him of the sea more and more. She was always pleasant to him and always provided him with answers to his questions - for the right price, of course. But she had never turned him away as she was known to. Tia Dalma often told him he was like the sea in her eyes. She saw the sea through him and learned adventure through him as well. Jack had never pestered her about why she never boarded a ship to sail the seas before, figuring that was her own business ... until he saw that locket of hers, after he lost his Pearl and was marooned by his crew.

It had been both a shock and not. He had heard all stories about Devy Jones and knew every version of it was true. Devy Jones fell in love with a woman and with the sea, but no one believed they were _one and the same_. Tia Dalma had pretty much confirmed his suspicions since the day he had first seen the locket. He had paid it little mind since and never changed his behavior with her. He knew Tia Dalma was fond of him so he dropped in every now and then to pay her a visit and keep her company. He was sure his efforts were appreciated as Tia Dalma always greeted him with a pleased smile. He was a little worried about her interest in young Will but the boy had a similar sort of boyish charms that Jack himself had when they first met. She must be awfully lonely and besides! Every woman loved to gaze upon a good looking young man!

Still, knowing Tia Dalma's true identity put a bit of a suspicious tilt to Barbossa's resurrection. His old mutinous first mate was up to something and if it required the entire Brethren Court, it cannot be good. Jack had a pretty good idea of what Hector wanted to do but doing it without first setting a few terms of their own would end in disaster for any and all men at sea caught in the male storm.

And by bringing him back from the dead, Tia Dalma had ensured that Hector could not negotiate any terms at all.

That didn't say anything about _Jack_ , though. He came back through different ways than Barbossa. The Locker was about punishment, not mere death. She had no sway over it, no control. He could negotiate.

"I think we both know what you needed from him, darling." The Captain said smoothly as he leaned into her, aiming for her ear. His voice sounded jovial to untrained ears but Tia Dalma knew him well enough to recognize the dangerous seriousness his tone took up. "After all, you need all nine Pirate Lords to set you free, just like when they first bound you to your bones, my _Queen_." When she tried to back away from him, his hands came as quick as lightning to encircle her waist, keeping her close to his body. It gave off the impression of intimacy to any onlookers - there were rumors about Tia Dalma and Jack, after all, and even Gibbs believed some of them - instead of it looking like one person caging another. Tia Dalma went to hiss something at him but Jack, silver tongued as he ever was, beat her to it. "Sea goddess _Calypso_."

"How did ye know?" Calypso demanded in a hiss, a fearful look in her eyes. It was one thing when she revealed herself to others and it was a whole other thing when others figured out her true identity without her consent. It put her in a dangerously vulnerable position, something she was not used to. There was not a living soul left who knew her guise as a mere human woman that practices voodoo on this Earth, all of them long since dead along with the first Brethren Court. Barbossa had been told upon his resurrection and it had been on her terms, he at her mercy and under her power. Jack Sparrow, even when chained and caged was not truly under anyone's power unless he gives up and as long as the Black Pearl floats, he won't be giving up. "Wot gave me away?!"

"That doesn't matter now." The Pirate Lord of the Caribbean replied. "You'll be free before the week ends, anyway, so why would it be of importance."

That gave her pause and she met his eyes, her gaze inquisitive. "Ye'd set me free?"

"I've always been all about freedom, luv." He replied vaguely but Calypso wasn't deterred.

"Why? Ye not be as fulish as Barbossa, my Vitty Jack. Ye wouldn't set m' free silly nilly widouth expectin' somethin' 'n return."

Jack paused for a moment, as though pondering the question when they both knew he had his answer already. Finally, he let his face light up in his charming little grin as he replied. "That's 'cause I won't! I definitely expect somethin' in return, my dear! Ah ah ah!" He cut her off, raising a single finger and placing it on her lips. "Be not so fast wiff your protests, luv. I think I 'ave 'n offer you'll be quite pleased wiff."

Calypso stayed quiet but her eyes told a whole different story. There was a male storm in there that was just waiting to be released upon her jailers. The very reason why Jack thought his fellow Pirate Lords Barbossa and Sao Feng were idiots. He was sure someone else in the Brethren Court would agree with them, but that wasn't the point. If they were to release the Sea Goddess now, Calypso would release all of her pent up rage on them and they would be lucky if three to four pirates survived at all.

"But b'fore I tell ye th' offer, Calypso," he leaned into het ear again, whispering as intimately as though they were lovers. "I 'ave a question or two I'd rather like fer ye to answer."

"Ye may ask 'em, Jack Sparra', but I may not ans'er." She told him testily but he could see that she was curious. He had to suppress a grin. Good. It was always good to keep people, especially the dangerous ones, interested. It kept him alive longer that way. And as long as she was interested, it meant she might even pause to consider it. Maybe even answer it!

He smiled innocently at her as he asked his (very important) questions. Ones she certainly hadn't been expecting. The ones that desperately needed answers.

"D' ya still luv Devy Jones? An' if ya could, wouldya go bac' to 'im?"

00000

"I've never seen a passage quite like this," Theodor breathed two hours later as Jack guided the Black Pearl and her crew through the Devil's Throat into the Shipwreck Cove. There was an unnerving silence as the Caribbean Pirate Lord threw orders around and people scrambled to do as told. Barbossa dared not question or challenge Jack's command for fear of them falling prey to the same rocks that had taken many a good sailors lives as they made the crossing. Not even Pintel and Ragetti dared be up to any of their usual antics and Mr Cotton's parrot was as silent as the grave. "This is ... horrendous."

"Aye, that be th' word." Gibbs agreed in nearly a whisper, also not daring be any louder. "This be the firs' time I be doin' the crossin'. I've not a clue how Jack can be so calm."

"He's crossed many times before," Norrington offered, eyes shifting from spot to spot, the only sign of his own unease. "Or so he has said. Growing up in there must have had the crossing as a part of his upbringing."

"P'rhaps." Barbossa agreed grimly, glaring at the eccentric man known as Captain Jack Sparrow. "There better not be a singl' scratch on me ship when this is ov'r."

"De Black Pearl be Witty Jack's ship, not yers, Barbossa." Tia Dalma told him with a grave surety as she walked past them. She had somehow been both avoiding Jack and sticking to his side like a barnacle since he chased away Barbossa and had that strange conversation with her that no one was privy to.

"I've been 'er captain a lot long'r than dat whelp an' I've made a fortune along th' way."

"You've also been cursed." Theodor pipped in and wilted under the glare the pirate sent his way. "Just saying."

Tia Dalma laughed at the older caltain's boasting, making headway for Sparrow. "De Black Pearl was _always_ Witty Jack's ship. She love he as much as he luv 'er. He sold him soul to da devil jus' to see her sail ag'in. He go back fer 'er ev'n as he knew it be him death sentence. Capt'n Jack Sparra' an' him precious Black Pearl be a pair ye cannot separate, Barbossa. Magic as strong as de touch of destiny binds 'em. She be faster under him hands dan she ev'r was under yers."

"Well," James said with half mystified half bemused amusement as they all watched the voodoo witch saunter off. Sparrow greeted her with a warm smile that she hesitated less than a second to return before settling next to Mr Cotton behind the captain at the helm. "If you put it that way, I guess Mr Sparrow _is_ the captain of this ship." With a glare at Barbossa, a nod to Theodor and Gibbs and a wave to the approaching couple, Norrington also made his way up to the helm to get a better look at the natural tunnel that served as one of the ultimate defenses of the Shipwreck Town where the Brethren was gathering.

"Not much longer now." Sparrow told the ex-Admiral when the man came to stand beside him instead of with Cotton and Tia Dalma. "The crossin' o' bigger ships usually lasts a day at the least, usually 'couse the capt'ns are afraid to wreck their boats. But the Pearl is a naturally fast'r ship and 'er capt'n knows the way." He grinned happily and James shook his head at the mixture of smugness and true happiness in the man's tones. It shouldn't have looked nearly as cute as it did but Sparrow just got so _excited_ when talking about his ship ... Norrington for a moment wondered if he had ever loved one of his own ships that much. The closest that came to any sort of attachment was the Dauntless.

"How did you pirates _find_ this island and the cave? Neither are on any maps I've ever seen."

"That's b'cause ye were in th' Navy, luv." Jack said as if that explained everything. For a moment, James reflected that it most certainly did. He had not believed in cursed treasures, pirate ghost ships or Davy Jones, his ship and his Kraken until he was faced with it all. The pirate folk seemed far more educated in the ways of the sea than his previous occupation did. "Ye'va seen not'in' yet. Ye think we're all just stupid thieves and beggars, but we be a rather smart, if unimaginative, lot. If not, how would we have ever found and claimed this little piece of rock as a true pirate sanctuary? Or bound the goddess Calypso to 'er bones, but that be one o' the stupider things th' first Brethren Court had made, 'twas. Bloody morons. The sea cannot be bound or tamed. Look where efforts of such 'as landed us. Bloody Beckett."

James stared at him as though he had grown a second head or a third limb but any question he could have asked was knocked right out of him with his breathless gasp when the end of the tunnel finally came into sight. Jack just grinned and called out across the whole ship.

"Welcome to the Town of Shipwreck, me hearties, yo ho!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"This is ... incredible," Elizabeth breathed as she and the rest of the crew stared at the hidden and well protected Town of Shipwreck as the Black Pearl slowly and safely exited the Devil's Throat, leaving behind the danger and the wrecks of countless ships that had fallen prey to this cave's natural defenses. The sight before them was truly breathtaking and no one could take their eyes off of the little town that was actually bigger than London, if you were to look at it from above.

The cave was as big as the island itself, as though the heart of it had been made out of sand only to be washed out by the tides with time, leaving the outer, harder rock hollow but standing strong. Legends circulated that the island had once been a giant, ancient sea turtle and that this was all that remained of it, its shell. It was preposterous, but with pirates, you never knew which of their legends was a true story until its staring you right in the face. The cave was amazingly well lit, and not only because of the lanterns that were giving light to the docked ships and the harbor or the big citadel. A few strangely well strategical places in the cave were made of some strange crystals that were as sturdy as the rocks around them but were almost completely transparent and let in natural daylight. The first Brethren Court had forbidden those crystals to ever be mined or even touched, for not only would it leave a weak spot in the cavern for either the weather or an enemy to exploit, but it would also prevent the plants they so cleverly planted where the light landed from those crystal windows from growing. As you can see, Shipwreck Cove was mostly self sustaining, since its inhabitants could even grow their own food. With provisions to last a fifty or so year long blockade and the means to make more food, the pirates could well outlive Beckett and any of his ilk in here ... if they could only get along for longer than a few weeks.

The carven even had a source of clean, fresh drinking water! Convincing the other Pirate Lords that they had to do something other than sit on their lazy asses in here was going to be difficult. Might even take a miracle.

Good thing Jack Sparrow was here. And owed them all money. He couldn't wait for the first person to dare and draw their weapon on him. The reaction to that alone might make them reconsider their lazy, cowardly tactics.

"It's amazing. Beautiful." Theodor agreed with the late governor's daughter, staring in wide eyed awe at the citadel. It was unlike any town or fortress he had ever seen. It was actually a lot like a miniature, spiky version of the island itself, only with windows made of some really strong stuff that not even cannonballs were able to completely break. It took like three direct hits before the things shattered and there were always three more at hand by each window. And the light shinning through them served almost like a lighthouse, helping ships along to the socks safely.

"Did my father ever see this?" Will asked, more to himself in wonderment than actually expecting an answer.

"Not in all th' time I knew he." Barbossa answered with a grunt. He had been to Shipwreck Cove only once before and had been unconscious both when entering and leaving it. He barely remembered even this citadel, to be honest. He'd been more preoccupied with other things, back then.

"No, he didn't." Jack answered a few seconds later, staring at his home that he had not seen for many a years. He wondered briefly if his entire family was here or not. He somehow doubted any of them could have died or been captured at Beckett's hands, too much like himself in that way, but old age, accidents at sea or sickness had a way of towing death along like a rowboat. You just never knew when it was your time until it was. "He sailed with me only after I got Jones to give me my ship back and I never sailed the Pearl here since. Or before, depends on who ye ask."

"That makes no sense whatsoever!" James protested, a bit sick of Sparrow's word games. "It's either never since or never before. It can't be both."

"Sure it can!" The dredlocked man started explaining when another voice cut him off from somewhere in the distance.

"SAIL, HO! IT'S CAPTAIN JACK! IT'S CAPTAIN JACK!"

The others blinked at the excited shout, looking over towards where the other ships were docked and seeing a man in one of the ships' crow-nests, waving madly and shouting to others all over the dock that Sparrow was there. The other turned to ask Jack if he knew the excited men yelling greeting towards the Black Pearl, only to stop short at the delighted, happy and relieved grin that stole over the tanned man's face as more and more shouts joined the first.

"Captain!"

"It's the Captain!"

"Jack is back? Jack is back!"

"Captain Jack! We heard you were dead!"

"Shoulda known nothin' can kill ya, capt'n!"

"Jackie!"

"Jaque!"

"My eyes must be dec'evin' me! I thought she gad sank!"

"She's Jack's ship! No way would she sink if he's still breathin'!"

"Captain!"

"Captain Jack!"

"You know these people?" Young Turner turned to his friend and asked curiously. The men didn't seem to know anyone else on the ship and were only greeting her captain. There was no one calling William Bootsrtap, so they hadn't known his father. No one greeted Gibbs and no one sneered at Barbossa. But they knew Jack and quite well, it would seem.

"Aye. They be my first real crew!" The other replied with pride. "Best damn, most loyal crew in the world, they were. Trusted me with their lives. Left piracy with me and refused to leave me even when I forbade them from going with me on my last voyage under the command of the East India Trading Company. Would'va died for me and me ship had they been there, that day. Good thing I insisted and left without them. Wouldn't'va been able to live with meself otherwise."

"I nev'r knew ye had a crew b'fore me." Barbossa grunted and Jack just snorted.

"Jus' keep away from 'em and ye might live this through, Hector."

"Is that a threat, Jack?"

Black eyes met sea blue for a moment before Jack turned his attention back to properly docking his beloved Pearl. "Just a warning, my treacherous first mate. I have many friends here and you would not want to meet them. At all." He glanced at him in all seriousness before looking straight ahead again. "Trust me."

When the Black Pearl was ready to slide into place, the men that had once been Jack Sparrow's crew were already there and waiting, perfectly familiar with docking the black ship in place and they did so with gust and happy grins on their faces. The current crew of the ship watched with confusion as their work was done for them and how the fifteen sailors were all waiting down on the dock for their former Captain to emerge. Two more men were running down the docks towards them, but they were dressed differently and they wondered if they were Jack's childhood friends or something.

The second Jack stepped off of his Pearl, he was surrounded by what was left of his first ever crew aboard his beloved ship. He laughed as he was shoved and hugged from all sides, joking with the men and exchanging small pleasantries while the rest of the Pearl's inhabitants got off. Some of them even went as far as to check his temperature and look both of his eyes over, as though searching for signs of illness or hidden wounds, mental or physical. Seeing as Jack had very much snapped back to himself the second Beckett had mentioned his Pear and what fate could await her, his old crew members were happy with what they found, nothing but a few bruises and scratches. Jack Sparrow was as fine as rain and was once again radiating his warm smiles and welcoming personality that too often hid his sharp intelligence.

"It is good to see ya again, Catain." One of the men finally said after a few more minutes of the ruckus, addressing Jack in the name of the old crew. Said Captain grinned at them in pleasure.

"And you as well, Marcus. All of ye, actually!" He laughed in delight, earning more smiles from the old pirates. They had all retired by now, settling in Shipwreck Cove to help out where there were a few extra hands needed, especially on an occasion like this. "It is me genuine pleasure to say ye've been the best crew I've ev'r 'ad an' that ye've spoiled me rotten. Can't get a good enough crew these days at all. All turncoats and cutthroats and traitors and cowards, they are. I can count on me one hand how many a good sailors I've 'ah since you lot."

The men beamed at the praise while the current crew shuffled and wondered just how many of them were to be counted among those fingers. They were a bit uncomfortable, to say the least. They stood in front of the men who had set up Jack Sparrow's standards and they felt they were lacking. The genuine affection these men held for their captain was returned tenfold by the man himself, their loyalty equal amongst them, the adventures they all shared, numerous.

"'Twas always a pleasure to serve under ye, Captain." Marcus replied warmly. He was an elderly man and had once served as Jack's first mate before Sparrow had left without them to spare them Beckett's ire when he released those slaves. He would have served him to the death had Jack allowed it. They had all mourned the sinking of their ship - and their captain with her, as they had long since believed until stories of Jack Sparrow and his precious Black Pearl started spreading not too long after. Since then, they never quite knew which stories to believe, as they knew anything was possible with their strange young captain, but they always dreaded the stories about his numerous deaths and the there hence continued adventures. The Kraken story ... they would rather pretend it, too, was just a rumor. How could the beastie have eaten their once Captain if he were there, singing their praises to his new crew and new friends?

Yet no one can run from Davy Jones for long. Not even Captain Jack Sparrow.

"Ye're here fer de Court?" Another man asked curiously, knowing Jack didn't like coming back to Shipwreck Cove ever since he got his freedom. He loved his family, yes, but they could be a bit overwhelming when they all gathered together. Jack was possibly the only one who could stand them when they're all together but he was a part of that family and a touch too overwhelming himself to anyone not used to him. The crew had definitely never gotten fully used to their captain despite how fond they were of him and they were sure these people weren't nearly as used to him as they had been. Jack Sparrow brought adventure wherever he went and trouble usually tagged along like a lost puppy. Like that time they mistook a church for a brothel ... Yeah, there were no nuns to make their vows left after Jack Sparrow and his crew sailed away.

"Aye, a grim day it be when I walk into that meetin' of me own free will."

"A grim day, indeed." A different man echoed but further conversation was halted when the two men who had been running the docks to meet with the Captain of the Black Pearl finally arrived, slightly out of breath and even a little frantic as they searched out Jack Sparrow. Said man stiffened when he recognized the emblems on their clothing - the same as his flag, only in miniature and one wore it on his black bandanna while the other had it stitched to his ripped up, worn out black shirt - but didn't try to evade an encounter with them and held perfectly still as two sets of eyes finally settled on him. Both men practically slumped with relief and shared an eased grin before their faces were returned to neutral expressions as they faced Jack and his crew, old and current.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, we are here to inform you that four other Pirate Lords have yet to arrive and you and your crew are for now free to roam the Cove as you wish, bar few special places that we are sure you will point out need special entrance permission." One of the men said by way of greeting, the other nodding along.

"Aye, I figured as much. Mistress Chang and Sao Feng are still not docked. Captain Barbossa, the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea is here, though." Hector nodded proudly, stepping forward and expecting to be greeted with the same courtesy. The two men ignored him in favor of the younger Pirate Lord. "Who else is missin'?"

"The Pirate Lord if the Atlantic was spotted two days away by our watchman." The second man replied, the first grimly pulling a grimace. Jack mirrored it.

"He better speed up or Grandmama might take a bite out o' his hide for stainin' her honor."

"Aye." The men replied in return, all three and Jack's old crew shuddering in sync.

"Who's 'Grandmama'?" Will leaned over to ask Gibbs and Barbossa, the later still smarting about being ignored so the old drunk answered.

"Grandmama Teague be one o' the most infamous pirates in the worl', the second Pirate Lord of the Atlantic Sea. She started a famous family that is regarded as royalty among pirates, the Teague 'clan' as those from the East call 'em. 'Er son, Edward Teague, be the third Pirate Lord of the Caribbean b'fore 'e retired. He's now the Keeper of the Code an' also one of th' most feared pirates across this Eart'."

"I've 'eard of 'em both but met the Keeper only once. He be an intimidatin' man. Lots of power in his hands." Barbossa added, getting over his stung pride for the time being. "Can be rig't merciless when th' mood strikes 'im."

"Captain Sparrow was supposed to talk with the Keeper for Captain Hugo." Theodor reminded. "Do you think he will be alright?" The ex-Lieutenant asked his friend but James had no real answer. He honestly didn't know but the name uttered tugged at something buried deep in his memories. It sounded awfully familiar, if he were honest, like a dream once upon a lifetime ago.

Gibbs answered to Groves when no answer was forthcoming from Norrington. "Aye, Jack be fine. He and Captain Teague go way back. An' he 'as a lot of friends 'ere to keep 'im safe."

"If all I've heard and read about the infamous Captain Teague is true, I don't think a dozen or so men will be enough to keep Jack safe." Elizabeth worried but Gibbs just laughed her off.

"Aye, Jack be just fine."


	9. Chapter 9

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"Can you _believe_ this, James?" Theodor Groves breathed in awe as he and Norrington settled into the room they were given inside one of the seemingly numberless inns inside Shipwreck Cove. He was currently standing on what will serve as his bed in the room they are to share with one Will Turner for the duration of their stay in the citadel, just bellow a tall port-like-window, looking out at the majestic sight they could see from there. The harbor down there looked amazing from whatever angle you looked at it and Theodor was rightfully excited to be inside the Cove, a legendary place among pirates. "Do you realize _where we are_?! I always wanted to get some insight in the lives of pirates, always knew there was more to them than just killing and stealing and cruelty and treasure. I can't _wait_ to check this whole place out on the morrow!"

"Yes, I am sure Sparrow will be all too happy to show you around." James said distractedly, frowning at the unusually clean sheets. He had not expected anything pirate to be even remotely clean, yet the sheets were almost as well washed as his own had been in his old house back in Port Royal. How surprising. He wondered if he could ask them to wash his coat, too.

"You really think so? I mean, I wouldn't want to _bother_ him overly so by asking him to take just me around." James caught on to his meaning and scowled at his friend.

"I am sure young Mr Turner and Miss Swann will both be delighted to join you."

"Come now, James! Captain Sparrow is fond of you! I'm sure if you asked him, he'd gladly show us all the good stuff!"

"Theodor-"

"Think about it, my friend!" Said man interrupted, grin widening and his whole person becoming even more animated by the second. "We'll get some real insight into the life of _Jack Sparrow_! If we see where he used to play, we might learn what made him such an escape artist! Or how he learned to sail and captain his ship! Or if we talk to the right locals, we might even learn some of his early adventures! Aren't you the least bit curious about how a man like that came to be?"

Norrington would be a liar if he said he wasn't. Many stories circulated about Sparrow and his supposed past and yet very few were likely to be true. Then again, recalling the man's tendency to attract chaos and trouble both in equal measure, maybe there were far more truthful stories in the rumor mill than most would believe. The man's penchant ability to escape death - barring his second to last encounter with it - was as legendary as it was fact. The man was obviously courting the favor of both Lady Luck and Lady Fate as both seemed far too fond of him to let Lady Death claim him as her own. A peek into Sparrow's origins might give him a clearer insight into the man for whom he'd betrayed everything he stood for only to become everything he had ever stood against.

He wondered how Sparrow had gotten his wit, where and when he'd learned to fight, who had taught him so many languages. Which was the first ship he had ever sailed on? Did he always love the sea? Had he ever thought of a life outside of piracy? How had he met Beckett the first time around? (As it was obvious there was some history there.) Why had he wanted the Aztec gold in the first place and why had he trusted Hector Barbossa and his terrible crew with its location?

The last one had been answered a mere couple of hours earlier, when Jack had compared his current and former crew. Jack had gotten used to the loyalty of good men whose lives he had went out of his way to save and who would do so in return in the blink of an eye. He had assumed Barbossa and his ilk would be the same. He had been young, maybe even still a bit naive.

He never formed a bond like the one he did with his first crew with any that followed. He had learned his lesson and only now were his crew members learning what they were missing out on. Jack Sparrow's genuine affection and respect meant more than sny treasure to his first crew.

James wondered what he had pulled to earn _their_ respect and loyalty.

The British Royal Navy could learn something from those men.

"Perhaps you are right, Theodor. It certainly cannot hurt to learn more about the one pirate vying for our lives, I'm sure. And Sparrow seems an interesting enough character to not be a bore."

"Jack." Both ex navy-men jumped at the new voice interrupting their conversation. They wiped their heads around to see a grinning Will Turner leaning against the door frame of their shared room. They had no idea when he had arrived. "You should call him Jack, as he's selling it high and wide that you're his mates. As such, you should call him Jack. Everyone will be suspicious if you don't, especially with your uniforms. Men of the navy don't get a good treatment here, I hear."

"Dully noted, Mr Turner, or should we call you Will?" Norrington replied dryly but the younger man just shrugged.

"Call me whatever you want, but Jack told me to tell you to _not_ introduce yourself as Norrington. For your own safety."

"Of course. Commodor Norrington, the Scourge of the Caribbean, the pirate hunter." Said man snorted. "Give my thanks to Spa- Jack for his concerns."

"You can thank him yourself." Will said with an arched eyebrow. "He's taking us all on a tour of the Cove tomorrow at noon. All who want to go are to meet aboard the Black Pearl at one o'clock exactly. Apparently there's a huge clock the size of Big Ben somewhere near the top of the citadel and is visible from almost all sides. If you're interested, you're free to come along."

Theodor was practically bouncing with excitement.

Turner smiled pleasantly.

James groaned.

00000

"They have a pretty good service here," Elizabeth commented the next morning as she joined the rest of the Port Royal group at a table in the inn's dinning hall. "I had a guard in front of my door all night last night so no one could disturb me, my bedsheets were _new_ and I had a _bath_! A honest to god _bath_! With hot water and everything! And there were new clothes waiting for me in my bedchamber when I finished yet none of my belongings were so much as touched! I honestly thought pirates couldn't resist stealing something that was right under their nose."

"Aye, we can't," a voice replied two tables over, grinning at their party when they looked at him and raising a pinter of rum at them. "But you're friends of Captain Jack Sparrow and only rare few fools or arrogant bastards dare go against him here." He stood up and sauntered his way over to their table. He looked a good ten years older than Barbossa and yet his hair was still blond with only a few gray hairs here and there in his stubble. "Fergive my manners. My name is Victor and I served on the Misty Lady with wee Jack for quite a while. A pleasure to meet his friends, although, if I'm not mistaken, we're missin' a certain Mr Joshamee Gibbs. A shame. I wanted to meet all of wee Jack's friends at once before you stand at the Court with 'im."

"You knew Jack when he was little?" The lady asked curiously, leaning in closer, hoping for a story. "What was he like?"

"And what does us being with ... Jack have to do anything with our good treatment?" Norrington questioned next, hesitating only a secon's worth of time upon saying the Captain's name.

"He served on the legendary Misty Lady?" The pirate lover in Groves came to life in an instant, waiting in as much anticipation as Elizabeth for the story.

"He be a real rascal, that one! Hyperactive and cheerful and optimistic enough for th' whole ship!" Victor laughed good naturally, obviously recalling days long since passed. "Though trouble seemed to follow him like a lost pup and 'e always seemed to encourage it. Then again, him being who he was, trouble was bound to be around. It runs in the family, you see."

"You knew Jack's family?" Will pipped up, interested in that tidbit of information. Was Jack like himself? Was his father absent and his mother struggling to feed them both?

"Know 'em still. Though his Ma passed away a few years back. Wonder if wee Jack knows that?"

"He never mentioned anything of the sort to us."

"Then it better be if his father tells 'im." Victor decided with a nod, leaning on the table and taking a long swig of his rum. "Anyways, wee Jack had a bit of a rebellious streak as a teen. Hated piracy for how cruel some blokes could be." He laughed at the gaping faces and surprised choking sounds this statement produced. "Oh, ye didn't know? Wee Jack hated piracy for everything except the freedom to sail the seas. Ran away, that one, and stayed away fer a year or so. Got 'imself a ship, named it The Barnacle," he snorted, his audience still too captivated by the story and the fact that Jack had once wanted to be anything but a pirate. Norrington wondered for a second how different life would have been had Jack Sparrow turned out to be anyone but who he currently is. Now that he pondered it, the difference would have been great and he wasn't sure it would have been for the better. "Found a crew and sailed off. He found adventure and a few treasures. Managed to outwit Davy Jones, once or twice. But then one of 'is friends turned out to be a spy fer the Navy and he was captured by none other than Admiral Norrington."

All four of the group from Port Royal jumped at this and three of them turned to stare at the fourth, who was wide eyed. His father had captured a young Jack Sparrow? When was this? How was Jack even _alive_?

"'F course, Jack's Da wouldn't let 'is only son rot in Nortington's hands so the Misty Lady searched fer him and we rescued wee Jack and brought him back here. After seeing that not only pirates be cruel, wee Jack became a pirate. A real one, aboard a pretty thing called the Wicked Wench. Captain Morgan loved the little whelp." Victor chuckled and finally sat down by their table, fully joining them as he told the story. "The crew liked 'im, too. Jack sailed away and we didn't see or hear from him in a few years. Then there was that whole debacle with the Spanish Navy and Jack becoming Captain of his own ship and a Pirate Lord to boot. All sorts of bad thing followed and then he worked fer that Beckett and 'im ship was burned and sank. We next saw him after he was marooned. Stayed fer a bit before chasing after his precious Pearl. Didn't want any help. Never saw him again until now. Wonder if he'll recognize me?"

"You didn't answer my question." Norrington pointed out, still a bit shaken that his father had been mentioned. "About our good treatment." He clarified when Victor looked at him blankly. The older sailor snorted into his drink.

"You don't mess with Jack unless ye want his family breathing down your neck, boy. He be the youngest and they be mighty overprotective of 'im. Only an utter fool would try anyt'n' within the Cove."

"And that reflects on us _how_ , exactly?" James insisted while his companions just watched the exchange.

"Jack be fond of ya. After all that he's been through and how many a times he'd been betrayed by a 'friend', some of 'is spark left 'is eye. He used ta make friends of everyone. Now he be more reserved, more wary of people. If he's goin' out of his way to protect ya, then yer his friends an' that should be an honor fer you lot. And if yer his friends, then ye get 'is protection. He got a lot of friends 'ere. They'll keep an eye on ye." Victor finished off his drink and sat back in his chair. "Any more questions?"

"You said Jack served on the Misty Lady?" Theodor repeated his earlier inquiry and Victor smiled again.

"Aye, with his Da. A good sailor, that one. Born on the Misty Lady in the middle of a horrendous storm. Had his first steps on 'er, too. Knew of sea before of land. Was fun watching him trottin' about, causin' mischief and making everyone love him."

"You're talking about Jack, right?" Elizabeth asked to confirm and Victor just grinned.

"Aye. Although he be much like his father. Got very little from his Ma. She be a good woman who fell in love with a notorious pirate and married him on the Misty Lady, becomin' one of the crew. Had many near hear attacks, the poor lass. Wee Jack be too much fer her. But not his Da. His Da always took wee Jack in stride. Too sad that they grew apart. But wee Jack not like how his Grandmama treated him and showed him 'er love, so he ran away and his father was left chasin' after him. His Grandmama nearly died of a broken heart, and she be a sturdy lady, she is. In the end, they accepted that wee Jack needed his freedom when he first laid his eyes on the Wicked Wench. Saw it as love at first sight. Captain Morgan swore every time we met up with him over the years that the ship and wee Jack had a connection, that she be faster under his hand. Always made his Da proud, that one."

"What happened to that ship?" Elizabeth asked, waiting for the answer with bathed breath. Theodor was practically over the table as he stared at the old pirate, also awaiting the reply. After all, this was a part of Jack's history no one knew about. No one had known that he had ever sailed on a vessel called the Wicked Wench.

"Wait a minute," James interrupted before Victor could reply. "The Wicked Wench ... That names sounds familiar. I've heard it somewhere before, I am sure. Something about a Spaniard."

Victor looked grim as he answered. "Aye. The Spaniard. El Matador Del Mar, they called him. A prelude to that Commodore from Port Royal, is what he's called now." Said ex Commodore was very careful not to react over those words and his companions pointedly didn't look at him. "Only that damned Commodore showed enough honor to give us pirates a trial before he hangs us. Lets us die on land and not in the sea, where Davy Jones either ignores us or preys on our souls for his plague ship. A good man, wee Jack insists. Said he let him go instead of hangin' him once. Anyway, the Wicked Wench be the ship that took 'im down. But if ye want the whole story, ask Jack. He was there."

"El Matador Del Mar," Elizabeth repeated. "The most notorious pirate hunter of the seven seas. Captain Salazar, right? Stories say that he fell in a battle against a pirate battalion at the Devil's Triangle. But that place is just a myth ... right?"

Victor smiled secretively at her, stood up and left with a wave thrown over his shoulder. The four youngsters watched him leave, greeting loudly a pair of men by the names of Ivan and Ian before he left their line of sight.

Theodor looked ready to vibrate right out of his skin. "Jack Sparrow was a witness of the Battle of the Devil's Triangle, when the infamous Silent Mary fell? I have _got_ to get that story out of him! He really _is_ the best pirate I've ever seen!"

"So it would seem." James replied with a barely visible smile.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"Havin' fun explorin' the Cove on your own, James?" Jack Sparrow asked without turning around to look at the approaching ex-Commodore, sitting in what used to be a crow's nest of one of the wrecked ships a little further away from the main harbor of the citadel, looking out at the sea just barely visible through the Devil's Throat. "I have to warn ya, it can be quite dangerous if ya don't know where ye're goin'."

"I expected as much when I started, Jack. And it's not as though I can't take care of myself. Even against multiple opponents." The ex officer called out where he was standing at the edge of the railing of the crushed quarterdeck, looking up at the pirate captain. Jack laughed, finally turning around to look at the good (once) Commodore.

"Aye, ain't that the truth." He turned back to look out at the little expense of sea and Norrington took that as his cue to join him. He was careful as he climbed up the wooden post, knowing for sure that the structure was far from its ideal state as it may have once been. He'd rather not find out just how unsteady time and the sea air has made it by falling down to his death and potentially killing Sparrow with him. By now he was convinced the pirate deserved a special, heroic death in a grand battle, where he sacrificed himself for his friends and crew. Or something. All Norrington knew was that he no longer wished to have a part in the man's end. "Hurry up, Jamie! The view is rather lovely from up here."

"Am I to expect a sneak peak under some woman's dress if you consider it a lovely view?"

Jack let out a startled laugh and looked down to his unexpected companion again with a bright, incredulous and happy smile. "Was that a joke I just heard, my dear Commodore?"

His old title always sounded far better and more fitting than his last one, but coming from Sparrow after being called _Jamie_ of all things, it sounded _wrong_. Like it had never been his. When had he gotten so friendly with Jack Sparrow of all people? "You must be hearing things!" He shouted obnoxiously loud, earning another laugh from the pirate. Somehow, all alone - save James himself - surrounded by sharp rocks and wrecked ships with the sea splashing beneath him, the horizon in sight and the Black Pearl not too far away, Jack seemed more like his old seemingly invincible self than he had in days. It would seem he had indeed been affected by his stay in the infamous Locker and had needed the solitude to gather himself back. Or maybe it was simply being home again?

When he finally reached the crows-nest, Sparrow had made room for him, holding out a rum bottle in offering. There had once been a time when he would have turned his nose up at the drink and there had been a time he would have drowned in it. Now, he just nodded his thanks, took a few smaller swigs and gave it back to the pirate. Although he guessed he, too, was now a pirate.

"What brings you here, Captain Sparrow?"

Said man tsked at him in displeasure. "Don't go calling me that just b'cause no one's 'round. And this 'sed t' be me favorite place as a kid. Had little friends me own age here. None at all, that is. Rare few brought their kids to the Cove. My f'mily, though, is stationed 'ere. S' all me friends were sailors that more oft'n than not didn't 'ave the time to play wiff me so I played by me onsies. 'Tis how I learned every part of a ship."

"I thought you sailed with your father as a boy?" James absently questioned, almost regretting it when his companion stiffened but Sparrow answered anyway, instead of drawing back like James had feared.

"So you talked to someone from the Misty Lady? Who? Ivan? Nah, he's a quiet one. Ian? He don't like talking with Englishmen - unless, of course, they are from the Misty Lady and the Keeper's men. A Russian thing Ivan hadn't picked up, thankfully. Hm, was it Richards? Or Finch? Nah, Finch goes nowhere without his partner John and John don't like outsiders and strangers in the Cove and Richards would've left ye scared for life. He's crazy, that one. Mr Twist? No, wait, I heard he passed away last month from Victor." James must have reacted because Sparrow grinned in victory. "Aha! Aye, it be Victor, ain't it? Met 'im at breakfast, aye?"

"Aye- I mean, yes, we met Victor this morning, Turner, Elizabeth, Theodor and I that is." Norrinton admitted and Jack hummed.

"He told ye the truth. I've learned sailing on the Misty Lady but I've learned other things right 'ere. Practiced here, even."

"Things like what?" James couldn't help but ask, curious. Jack grinned like a madman.

"I'll gladly _show_ you, luv!" And before the ex officer could say something - presumably to stop him from unnecessarily killing himself before the Brethren Court should meet - Jack Sparrow took hold of an old rope James hadn't even noticed was there before and jumped right off the side of the crows-nest. He let out a cheering whoop as he fell, swinging his body so that he was sailing right overhead the entire ship. He was laughing like a delighted boy all the while and James drank up the sight and sound as though he were a thirsty man and it was water. This was an entirely new side to the man for the once Commodore. He had seen Jack as a Captain, as a panicked and desperate man searching for an escape from his death, a patient friend who never left one of his own behind no matter how they betrayed him, hopeless and utterly hopeful, cheerful, optimistic, indifferent, determined and a starved, beaten and dehydrated man about to be hanged but still as defiant as always. But this childish side ... It allowed him to more easily picture the boy Victor had described.

It was difficult to imagine what sort of life or adventure had bread a man like Jack Sparrow. It was now oh so easy to imagine how his story had began.

Jack spent the next five to ten minutes entertaining the ex Commodore with old play stunts he used to practice on these very wrecks, play stunts that became games of sailors and piracy and navy men that later became a reality in his adult and teen life. The very crazy stunts he had practiced for his games became stunts that saved his neck and hide more than once. He had practiced his aim with his first pistol here, too, and the first basic stances for sword fighting. Jack suspected that Hector had partially named his pet monkey after him because Jack was as agile as one on the ropes and masts of ships as a monkey would be. He was the fastest climber to the crows-nest that anyone sailing the Caribbean had ever seen. Only one of Mistress Ching's men and a sailor Jack once knew but was long dead now could beat him.

Jack had made sure that he was the fastest. If his ship was the fastest on the sea, then her captain had to be the fastest on her as well.

Besides, it was fun watching Norrington nearly jumping out of the crows-nest to try and save him when he did a few risky jumps that looked like a sure fall. He always knew he'd warm up to him. It made him feel as though they were mates.

The thought nearly stopped him short. He and James Norrington were far from mates. Just a few days ago, the man used to hate his guts simply for being a pirate, let alone the very pirate who had, in a way, been responsible for his life falling apart. He had not saved him because he was suddenly fond of him. He had saved him because he felt either responsible or guilty for how his own actions had had a hand in the massacres Beckett was no doubt executing at the gallows each day. It was why the son had been sung in the first place. Norrington must have been disgusted by the lack of trial or the deaths of children and women who had unknowingly associated with pirates or were their family.

James Norrington was a good man and that was the only reason Jack still had his life.

The man noticed immediately when his companion returned to his side that Jack's cheer had vanished and he wondered what had caused it. The Captain had been smiling from ear to ear while he was swinging around and yet now he was all gloomy again, like he had been since Norrington had saved him despite the smiles he kept throwing about. The stream of betrayals had taken their toil and Jack was suffering that burden now.

James felt a pang in his chest. It felt an awful lot like guilt and regret. Without thought, he reached for the older man's hand - when he smiled and joked around, Norrington felt like _Jack_ was the younger of the two of them - and squeezed, trying to get his attention. "Jack?"

"Yes?" The startled surprise on the darker man's face was priceless ... And strangely cute, especially when he tilted his head to the side like a curious bird. It made it strangely easier to say what he needed.

"I am sorry for taking the heart of Davy Jones from you, back on that island. Maybe none of this would have happened had I just stayed a loyal part of your pirate crew. Ironic that I am back right where I started, no?" The last was said with only a little bitterness, since the relief of his guilt was so overwhelming. A stone had fallen off of his heart, but it was now laying heavily in his stomach as he waited for an answer. As far as he knew, Jack never received apologies for the betrayals done upon him yet he always seemed to forgive them - except Barbossa, but that man was another story, since he took the ship Jack was willing to sell his soul for. What if he would now just release all his anger and frustration at constantly being betrayed by people he was willing to give his trust and loyalty to despite how undeserving of it they all showed they were? Jack said he had friends here. Would he tell them what they had all done?

A returning squeeze to his hand startled him and he looked up - when had he lowered his gaze - to meet Jack's eyes. His own green ones widened when he saw the gratitude and the happiness shining from the other's orbs, his face split in an infectious grin that made him strangely even more handsome than he usually was. Had there been any maidens around to see it, they would have swooned on sight. Norrington wanted to treasure this grin - it was his now. Jack had not grinned at anyone like this for as long as he had known the man. James Norrington claimed this grin as his. No one was to have this smile but him.

 _'Maybe I am a bloody pirate, after all.'_

After all, not all treasure is in silver and gold.

"C'mon, mate!" Jack suddenly pulled the ex Commodore to his feet, excitement like a child's thrumming through his body. "I'll give you a private tour of the Library of the Cove and show you the secondary cavern where we cultivate our resources!"

James let himself be pulled up by the Black Pearl's Captain, his mind focused on the man's words. "Library? You pirates read?"

"Some of us who live in the Cove, yes. My family is actually one of the best educated groups among pirates." Mischievous onyx orbs turned to him with a teasing grin below a mustache. "You didn't think all those books in my cabin were just for show, did ya?"

Realization dawned on James right then. Those rare strange incidents where he was left feeling a bit off balance when Sparrow got serious ... When he felt like he was speaking with a scholar rather than a pirate ... "Why in hell do you butcher the English tongue if you speak like an aristocratic scholar!?"

Sparrow just laughed as he dragged him off from the wrecks and towards the closest secondary cave. They didn't have much time until they had to meet the others and Jack just knew that Norrington will be stunned by the size of a pirate Library. It was, after all, nearly as big as the one in Alexandria.

Jack's family really liked to read.

00000

"You're late," Theodor, Elizabeth and Will intoned in sync as soon as Jack Sparrow sashed his way over to them with a guilty Norrington behind him.

Theodor looked jealous. "Not fair, James! You went on an adventure with Jack Sparrow without me?"

"You were together this whole time?" The only girl in the group questioned incredulously.

"And you didn't fight?" Her fiancée echoed her surprise with wide eyes.

Jack just grinned at them. "It seems I were right! I did grow on good Jamie here!"

"Yes, like a fungus. Or a barnacle." The ex Commodore agreed and they couldn't help but chuckle when Jack pouted theatrically. The three could see what Norrington had seen earlier. Jack was back to his old self, theatrics, grins, silliness and craziness and they were relieved to see this side of him back. Especially Will and Elizabeth. _Especially_ Elizabeth. She never quite forgave herself for what she had done when she had betrayed his trust and left him for dead. The Jack whose smiles didn't quite reach his eyes had been unnerving. The rarely slurred words in his speech even more so. The accusation of not being a good enough crew had hurt. It was nice to have the old Jack back. Crazy schemes and all.

"No respect, I say. No respect at 'll." Said Captain grumbled but they could see the grin tugging at his lips. They relaxed further as he mock complained before he swept out his arms as though embracing them and started going backwards in the vague direction from where he had appeared with James beforehand. "Well, me hearties, are ye comin' or wot? We 'ave a day at most before the Brethren Court is meetin' so we better get a move 'n."

"Wait, are they all here already?" The until recently Lieutenant asked in surprise. "The Pirate Lords?"

Jack nodded seriously, face no longer sporting a grin. "Aye. The Empress was spotted in the night, making haste from the East and Mistress Ching had docked this mornin'. And Jacord was seen sailin' into the Crossing some few minutes or so ago. We're all practically waitin' fer Sao Feng now. The rest are here."

"Who _are_ the rest?" Elizabeth asked excitedly, the pirate lover she still was somewhere deep down, despite seeing what their true lifestyle was.

"Well, there's Ammand of the Black Sea. He, surprisingly, arrived first. Then we have Chevalle. He rules the Mediterranean. Barbossa has the Caspian Sea and Jacord has the Atlantic. Mistress Ching rules the Pacific while Sumbhajee Angria rules the Indian Ocean. Sao Feng is the Pirate Lord of the South China Sea and Eduardo Villanueva has the Adriatic Sea. And then there's yours truly, Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirate Lord of the Caribbean." The last was said with a bow and a swish of his hat before he straightened out. "I 'ave a slight home field advantage over 'em all, 'specially since the Cove is in the Caribbean, but that don't mean much in these meetings. The only thin' that might stop 'em from tryin' to kill me will be the Code itself." A sardonic smile came to his face then. "An' its Keeper."

"What does the Code say?" Will asked curiously. "I mean, besides 'who falls behind is left behind'?"

"Take what ye can, give nothin' back." Jack replied immediately, already turning away to lead them on their little tour. "The rule of maroonin' a pirate, the whole thing wiff one pistol and one shot. There are lots and lots of rules not ev'ryone knows 'bout. 'S why we 'ave the Keeper of the Code. Someone to make sure it is followed. He and 'is man watch over the seas and ensure everyone is keepin' to the Code. He can enforce it. Not everyone needs to know every single rule."

"And the Code will keep you safe?"

"The Keeper will keep me safe." Jack replied before his mood did a whole 180° and he was cheerful again. "Now, t' yer left ye can see the very first bar opened in the Cove. Th' finest rum, there. An' to yer right, ye can see the Shipwreck Bank-"

"Bank?!"

"Aye, bank. Don't know why ye're all so surprised, mates. We're pirates but not barbarians. The Cove has to 'ave some finances and wot not. If there's a siege, we 'ave secret ways of gettin' supplies so we never run out."

"Doesn't that mean that the defenses of the Cove _do_ have a weak spot?"

"Not at all, Lizzie! Well, 'nless ye're the size of a pelican and can fly. Or climb over two ship heights worth of barren, sharp, pointy rock and a ship height of a muddy slope b'fore enterin' seven ship heights of jungle. Wiff enough weapons or powder to survive the steam in the tunnels up there. If ye can fulfill 'll those requir'ments, then aye, the defenses have a weak spot."

"I guess some of you pirates _aren't_ complete nitwits." James reluctantly stated, earning a laugh out of their guide.

"Aye! Some of us really aren't. Ye just rarely meet that sort since they rarely leave the Cove. The Keeper's men are all at least half decently educated, som'times by the Keeper 'imself. They're needed 'ere more than out there."

"But how do you get the goods in? Surely not by pelicans alone!?" Will protested, the mere absurdity of the idea stunning him. Then again, he had seen many, many absurdities since he met Jack Sparrow. Perhaps a pelican delivery system shouldn't really be all that surprising. Still, even that was a bit too far fetched. Not even those birds could carry everything that the pirates might need in here.

Jack just chuckled and pointed to one small opening across from the harbor. It was just barely visible over the water and three forms were swimming towards them from it, a box, crate or chest tied to each one. "Sea turtles, mate."

"Sea turtles?" The couple echoed in fascination. Theodor was speechlessly staring at the creatures as they obediently swam towards expecting port workers to be freed of their burdens and fed treats for their services while Norrington seemed to be praying for patience and what little remained of his sanity.

"Aye, sea turtles. Been here fer centuries b'fore us. We trained 'em and feed 'em and protect their eggs and they deliver things too heavy fer our pelicans to carry." Jack said as though it were normal, not understanding the strange looks he was getting from his young companions. "Wot? We treat 'em well, if that's wots ye're fearin'. Little treasures, they are."

"Yes, Jack, but ... Sea turtles?" Will asked again and Jack beamed, knowing what was bugging him. Maybe the whelp and his bonny lass will believe his story a little more, now.

"Aye, mate. Sea turtles."


	11. Chapter 11

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

Cutler Beckett had not wanted to immediately tell Jones that Sparrow had escaped from his Locker. Instead, he had sent ships after the retreating Black Pearl and Ghost in hopes of discovering their location by himself, but to no avail. Not as quick or as skilled as Jack to disable the rudder, Jack's rescuers had taken a more violent approach and only a handful of ships were in any sailing condition above sinking immediately. The fastest ship in the seven seas combined with the stealthiest of them all, what a truly terrifying mix.

Sparrow had been freed without them standing a chance of following him to this Shipwreck Cove that pirates spoke of for the meeting of the Brethren Court.

So Beckett had finally informed Jones of his missing bird and the squid-faced captain of the Flying Dutchman was not happy. Not happy at all. He had spent thirty minutes cursing Sparrow to the depths of hell and back, twenty times over, before he had moved on to cursing his courtship of Ladies Fate and Luck. Beckett had been impressed and secretly terrified of Jones rage but he had had his men pointing guns at Jones' heart the entire time, so the man didn't dare turn towards violence in his rage.

When he was finished cursing Jack Sparrow himself, he started cursing someone named Calypso for also showing such clear favor of him and then the Shipwreck Cove, for it was magically protected so that no thing that was touched by magic or a curse could sail in unless they sailed in like a normal ship. Jones didn't know the way and the Dutchman would be forever stuck in the Cove's natural defenses if he were to try, his men probably becoming shish kabobs on the pointy rocks said to protect the cave.

Beckett was not impressed. Not impressed at all. Sparrow had gone and made a fool of him yet again and his trump card was not even of any great use. The pirates could stay in the cove for _decades_ , if not longer, and not run out of provisions.

Someone asked if that wouldn't be victory enough - freeing the waters of pirates.

Beckett didn't just want to chase them away. He wanted them _destroyed_ , once and for all, starting with Jack Sparrow himself.

Lieutenant Andrew Gillet had not seemed very impressed or pleased, indeed, and had called him several kinds of idiot and arrogant pig as he pivoted on his heels and gave his resignation from the Navy, leaving to who knows where with the morning tide. Beckett didn't care much, anyway. He had bigger, more pressing matters to attend to.

Like the suggestion Jones had made that might force at least _Sparrow_ to come out of hiding.

Which is why Cutler Beckett found himself standing right in front of a giant rock formation in the middle of the ocean, feared by sailors and pirates alike and completely avoided by merchant ships. It was tall and looked like a giant stone sticking out of water that had a relatively harmless seeming cave. Yet not even the Flying Dutchman and her crew dared venture further than the very entrance of the cave, with Jones standing stiffly at the very front, waiting. Beckett and Mercer, with the heart and not a small number of guards, stood behind him, expectantly awaiting something that, according to Jones, might bring the pirates to their knees.

They waited and waited and waited and just as Beckett was starting to lose his patience after three hours of nothing but _waiting_ , a silhouette appeared from within the cave, approaching the light. For a short while, Beckett thought it was a ship, but then he realized it was merely a ship _wreck_ , yet it was _moving_ and with a speed a giant ship like that couldn't _possibly_ move, especially in such a tight space!

And then he screamed, along with many of the other men gathered there, navy and Dutchman's crewmen alike, when the ship came into light and her _ghost crew_ \- literally _ghost crew_! - landed on the deck of the Flying Dutchman. They were worse off than Jones and his men were. For one, they were truly ghosts, yet they had mass and they could touch and kill but no longer feel. Blades and bullets went right through them, the scary, chilling type of immortality. They were missing massive parts of their bodies, their clothing and hair floated around as if they were under water, their left over skin was blue and bloated, their clothing charred and rusted as thought from fire and years of rusting in the salty waters of the sea. Water and water bubbles dripped and floated out of their mouths and there was no light in their eyes. They were dead. So very clearly dead, moved by nothing hut some unnatural magic or curse.

And they were _angry_ , brimming and burning with rage at their fate and the one who had been responsible for it.

They wore what looked like Spanish uniforms.

They grumbled Spanish curses.

The ship was huge, the figure at its forefront recognizable from history books, said to be gone for some twenty years now.

A man with a cane for support walked towards Jones and Beckett found himself staring at the cause of Jack Sparrow's promotion to Captain and Pirate Lord, the ghost of his former self - quite _literally_.

"Davy Jones, you are not welcome here!" Capitán Armando Salazar hissed in the Dutchman's Captain's face, the Spaniard glaring without fear at the man that practically represented the sea itself. "We have told you once before - we do not want to pass! Not until we get our _revenge_!"

Beckett was sure he wasn't the only one who had shuddered at the venom in his tone.

Jones stood his ground well, almost as immortal as his adversary. Beckett wondered how he did not feel at least a bit of fear when staring down the El Matador El Mar. He, too, had once been a pirate, after all.

"I come not to fery ya t' da other side, Salazar. I came here to give a proposition to ya and yer crew. A chance to move on. Like _ye_ want."

"No, no, no. You are not listening to me. _¿No me escuchaste?_ We want _revenge_. We cannot pass until we settle our _rabia_. We cannot rest until the one who did this to us is _destroyed._ ¿ _Compre, amigo?_ We will not leave for the other side until we finish our business here."

"I already told you, I don't want t' force you t' go over!" The squid-faced immortal snapped, pushing the Spaniard away from his face with a disgusted scowl. "I am offering ya a chance at yer revenge, if only ya stinkin' Spanish sea dog would just _listen_."

Salazar looked ready to continue raging, but Jones' words registered and he stopped, signaling his men not to attack despite the treatment he had received to his person. The sailors followed their Capitán's orders, eying the two strangely combined crews with distrust. "What can you offer us, _hombre_?" He asked impatiently in a cold tone of voice. "We cannot leave here and the one I seek is too clever to be led in here by trickery. We are bound by a curse that will run its course for as long as he holds his Compass."

"We have a common enemy, so I am willing to bind you temporarily to my ship. It will allow ye and yer crew to leave this god forsaken place long enough to kill him." Jones bartered and Beckett saw Salazar more than considering the possibility. He saw his chance and he spoke up.

"And we know where he is." Cutler took a step forward, doing his best not to shudder when both gruesome captains looked at him. "We can lead you to him."

In the next second, before he could even fully register it, Salazar was in his face, eyes wide and greedy, _desperate_. Like a drowning man being offered a rope to cling on to. His breath was cold and reeked of death as he 'breathed', panting, almost, in his excitement. In anticipation. This was a man possessed, _obsessed_. Obsessed as Jones was. Obsesses as Norrington had been. Obsessed as _Becket himself_ was. And all with the same man.

"You know where he is? You can lead me to him?" Salazar demanded, grabbing the small Englishman by the shoulders and shaking him, not at all fazed when half of the muskets and guns were pointed at him. "To Sparrow?" Beckett found himself lifted by his cravat to be eye level with the tall ghost captain. "You can lead me to Jack the Sparrow?"

Beckett looked over to the gruesomely grinning Davy Jones and wondered if he should pity Sparrow. For all that he had gotten on his nerves more than any other thing or being in the world, he had actually somewhat liked Jack. There was no one like him in the world. But he was the enemy, the very, very _very_ dangerous enemy with very dangerous knowledge and he had to be destroyed.

"Yes."

Salazar grinned happily, looking like an overgrown puppy. How that managed to look endearing when he looked like a walking nightmare was a mystery.

"Then lead me to Jack Sparrow and I will aid you to destroy him."

"We have an accord." Jones agreed and thunder struck from the perfectly clear skies. The Flying Dutchman lurched backwards, clearing the entrance to the Devil's Triangle for the other cursed ship that had not been able to leave this place in some twenty years.

The Silent Mary _moved_.

00000

"An' then, just as I called fer both o' their attentions, I rememb'red that they both want me dead and they were both glarin' at me when-" Jack's animated retelling of one of his teenage adventures stopped dead short in the middle of the most interesting part, all excitement draining from his person in an instant as something cold gripped his heart. All those who had been listening to the story looked on in confusion as Jack suddenly seemed to be gripping the railing of his ship too tightly, as though she were his anchor. He looked paler than he should and his eyes had gone wide.

James, Theodor, Elizabeth and Will, who had spent the day with the Captain and had seen him in an explicable good and cheerful mood, shared a confused and worried glance. The man had only gotten cheerier when they returned to the Pearl for more stories after an amazing tour of the Cove, actually obliging and sharing some of his past adventures when Groves and Elizabeth insisted. And he had gone into great detail with glee, drawing everyone into it until even Tia Dalma was listening to a story she had actually been a part of.

This strange stiffness baffled them all and caused more than a little worry. Even in Barbossa.

For what could have possibly unsettled Jack Sparrow so?

Jack seemed to regain some of his wits but his eyes were still alarmed and wide as his hand dove for the Compass always strapped to his waist. They all watched as he looked at it with something a lot like dread before he opened its lid and saw the red needle that didn't point North moving. More color drained from his face as his eyes became unreadable.

"Jack? Capt'n?" Gibbs asked worriedly when his friend didn't move for a long while. He sidled up to the dreadlocked man and saw over his shoulder the Compass pointing directions as though whatever it was that Jack had wanted was moving. And moving fast, it would seem. "Jack?" He put a hand to the younger man's shoulder and Jack finally snapped back to attention. However, he jerked away from the touch, crossed the entirety of the Black Pearl in three strides and jumped over the railing. He landed solidly on his feet and did a small roll to get rid of the momentum before sprinting right off the docks towards the nearest watch tower. All the while, he never once looked away from his Compass nor did he run in his usual goofy fashion.

Whatever was going on, it was serious and the Pearl's crew followed their Captain right to the watch tower.

"Nicholas, mate! Get down here! It's urgent!" The Irish man, Nicholas, had red graying hair and a funny looking mustache but he didn't really look like someone you'd have a fun time with. He was a big man and his face seemed to be stuck in a perpetual scowl. He was very intimidating indeed and he was only seven or so years older than Sparrow and had worked for the Captain when he was but a lad of eighteen.

"What's the prob, Capt'n Jacky?" He asked in a voice rough from yelling as a part of his duty as a watchman.

"Nick, how far away are the other Pirate Lords as we speak? And are there any other of our ships taking course towards us?" The Caribbean Pirate Lord asked immediately, the urgency in his behavior putting Nicholas on high alert.

"Sao Feng will be making the Crossing in a matter of hours and everyone else is here. And no, no more ships, Capt'n. The Ghost docked an hour ago, the Dying Seagull at dawn and the Scarlet Witch is making the Crossing as we speak. She'll be fully in b'fore the hour is up." James and Theodor were surprised by the efficient report they received from the pirate. It was more befitting of a Navy officer than a scoundrel.

Jack nodded along with his words, thinking something over in his head. "No smaller ships in sight?"

"None. Although one _did_ dock some few minutes ago. I heard some British lad is looking fer ya, Capt'n. Says it's urgent an' awfully important."

"Yes, well, not nearly as this." Sparrow waved it off before refocusing on his earlier panic. He showed his strangely acting Compass to Nicholas, who looked at it in confusion before going as pale as the sails on any normal ship.

"Capt'n?" He asked in a fearful, quivering voice, eyes wide and dreadful as they looked hopefully at his once Captain. Jack nodded gravely.

"Tell the Cove crew that Emergency Protocol Number 6 is to be executed the _second_ you spot a ship in the distance. Make preparations as soon as Sao Feng enters the Crossing. Send messenger pigeons all over the Cove to make sure all windows and side entrances are closed and get someone to take Tia Dalma and our local witch to check the protective barrier one last time. Get men in position and clear up the mechanism. Our lives may very well depend on it."

"Sir," Nicholas actually saluted before screaming orders at his fellow watchmen and hurrying over to the nearest pirate on the ground. The lad ran off at the speed of lightning, hasty to follow whatever grave orders were given to him. Jack started barking orders himself after a few minutes, disappearing deeper into the citadel with his companions following after him in confusion that never abated, not even when they finally stood inside of the meeting room with the entirety of the Brethren Court at one table, swords sticking into various positions in a globe to represent their domain.

Just as the meeting was beginning to get heated, the bells started ringing.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"Lock down? What is the meaning of this?!" Sao Feng demanded as soon as he remembered what those particular bells meant. They had been used only once before, long ago, before the Court had decided to put protective barriers around the island for protection of creatures not quite of this world. Seeing Jack Sparrow's grim continuance, Sao Feng turned on him with his men drawing swords and pistols at the Black Pearl's Captain and crew, said crew following the example to protect themselves, despite being outnumbered seven to one. "What are you up to, Sparrow? What are you planning? Did you give us up for your own safety?" The South China Sea Pirate Lord hissed, daring to get up in Jack's face.

Said man flippantly pushed aside the sword at his throat and sauntered away as though he wasn't now the target of every Pirate Lord's men, making his way to the opposite head of the table from where the globe was placed, looking at his fellow pirates and Pirate Lords with serious black eyes.

"Gentlemen," he nodded then to Elizabeth, Tia Dalma, Mistress Ching and the local witch. "Ladies. I am remorseful to inform you that Davy Jones seems to have taken things too far this time and has done the unthinkable. We are now not only facing the Royal Navy's forces in this area and the East India Trading Company's ships, as well as the Flying Dutchman, but we are now also facing the greatest threat to our way of life that we have known in decades before these past couple of years. My fellow pirates, buccaneers, scalawags, thieves and beggars, we face, once again, Captain Salazar and his Silent Mary."

Half of the room spent the next five minutes gaping at the Caribbean Pirate Lord before his fellows broke out into cursing and words of denial, their voices intermingling in such a way that there was no way for anyone to understand what they were saying. Some were calling Sparrow mad, others were calling for his death. There were even a few that demanded that he hand over his Piece of Eight and leave the council chamber once and for all. Others were asking for the money he owed them and there were those who were panicking. Barbossa took this chance to try and get his point across that they _must_ release Calypso but not even he was heard over the ruckus. Elizabeth and Will joined in, stating that they must fight while Gibbs was trying to ward off their bad luck with whatever superstitious methods he knew of.

Finally, Jack had enough. " _QUIET!_ " Within two seconds, the entire room was as silent as the grave, everyone once again gaping at the man who never raised his voice in all the time they had known him. The look he was giving them made them all feel like children who were caught doing something naughty by a disappointed parent and they could no longer find their voices. "Thank you. Now, as you all no doubt know, I am in the possession of a magical device that points in the direction of whatever the holder wants most at the time. This very Compass," he took out said Compass to show it off to everyone, keeping a tight grip on the cord that was tied to it in case anyone got any funny ideas to try and steal it like many, many have foolishly tried in the past. "However, it is far more than a magical Compass, ladies and gentlemen. For, you see, if the bearer of the Compass were ever to betray it or the pirate's way of life, the Compass would unleash the worst fear of all pirates. The day this Compass was passed down to me by my late Captain Morgan of the Wicked Wench, one such fear was presumably destroyed in the Devil's Triangle. But as my and my college's, Barbossa's," he nodded to the scowling older captain of the Black Pearl at the other end of the table. "Presence shows, death is not so permanent. Or so _final_ as we thought. A curse, my fellow pirates. A curse Davy Jones has unleashed on us all. Since I remained loyal to my Compass, it has warned me that our enemy is approaching hours ago and now that they are here, because of the forewarning I received, Shipwreck Cove is in lock down and we are safe for the moment."

"You want to tell me that El Matador Del Mar is out there with Beckett and Davy Jones?" Jacord asked, ashen faced at the mere thought.

"Aye. And an armada. Never forget the armada."

"Then we must stay inside the Cove!" Mistress Ching insisted, slamming a hand on the table to emphasize her point.

"No! We must free Calypso!" Barbossa yelled loudly enough for it to echo, getting agreements from Sao Feng and Eduardo Villanueva while Jacord and Ammand protested, the second on principle to annoy Eduardo.

"No! We must fight!" Elizabeth yelled at them all and Chavelle rolled his eyes at her.

"And how are we to fight?! The Butcher of the Sea was a formidable foe when he was alive! If he is cursed, we are doomed!"

"We stay in here!" The blind Chinese woman declared with finality. "The Cove can withstand decades of a blockade! Why should we do anything?"

"Well, for one," they all turned around to face Jack Sparrow as he spoke up once again. "We wouldn't last without killing each other longer than two months. Or the Keeper and 'is men would do us all in from annoyin' them. And for another, are we not the mightiest pirates in the seven seas? Have we not faced the _Shadow_ and survived? All we need to do is take care of Davy Jones. Right, Tia, my dear?"

The black voodoo witch nodded. "Witty Jack be right. De only way de Silent Mary could'ave left 'er final restin' place would be if Davy Jones bound 'er to him person. If Davy Jones were killed or otherwise stopped, de Silent Mary an' her crew will disappear as though if dey set foot on land."

"See? Not so 'ard, is it?" Jack said cheerily but the Court was soon back in disarray once again, shouting over each other to be heard. "SHUT IT, YA GOOD FER NOTHIN' RASCALS!" Silence once more, as well as another round of gawking. Jack cleared his throat theatrically and said one sentence. "I call fer a vote."

"A vote?!" For once, the entire room was in agreement, shocked and incredulous as they were.

"A vote," Jack confirmed with a grin. "A vote fer the Pirate King, luvs. We can decide on the course of action after we see wiff whose idea most agree wiff. Savvy?"

"That's pointless and ye know it, Sparrow!" Barbossa thundered across the room, enraged. "Every pirate always votes only fer 'imself! We'll only be wasting precious time to free Calypso and get rid of our enemies!"

Jack met his furious gaze with bored eyes. "According to the Code of the Brethren Court, as written by Bartholomew and Morgan, page 32, section 4d, row 72, any Pirate Lord can call for a vote and the Brethren Court is obliged to oblige him on the pain of death and partake in the voting for the Pirate King or whatever matter was called into vote, quote and end quote. If you have anything against it, mate, take it up with the Keeper!" The last part he added cheerfully, enjoying how the room once more went as white as a sheet. He also enjoyed how his friends and former first mate were gawking at him.

James at least didn't look as surprised as the others. He knew about the Library. He knew Sparrow was probably as educated as he was, if not more through other sources.

Sumbhajee's advocates were the first to recover. "Let's shoot _him_ and cut out _his_ tongue and then shoot his tongue as well! Who _cares_ about the Code! _Hang_ the Co-"

A shot rang throughout the chamber and the advocate on Sumbhajee's right fell, a hole and a bullet in his chest. The room was dead silent as a tanned man dressed in black clothes and a red coat climbed down the stairs behind Jack, a pistol being reloaded in one hand, dark, dark eyes focused on the room from a face roughened by the sea and a pirate's life but no less handsome than in his youth, framed by some of his black dreadlocks. "The _Code_ ," he spoke in a voice that reeked authority and demanded respect. Jack stiffened a little upon hearing it but his eyes didn't show the fear that the eyes of the other pirates did. "Is the _law_."

Sir Sumbhajee's remaining advocate was quick to change his late college's words while the Pirate Lord of the Indian Ocean himself nodded frantically. The Pirate Lord of Madagascar eyed them for a moment longer before putting away his gun and picking up some guitar or tambourine, sitting in a corner and strumming it absently while his eyes never quite strayed from the form of one Jack Sparrow.

"Captain Edward Teague, lads," Gibbs whispered to the four from Port Royal while they stared at the single pirate whose mere presence had achieved a decorum of civility at the meeting where there had been nothing but chaos. "The Keeper of the Code himself. I wouldn't make an enemy outta him, if I were ye. An' he's awfully ... _fond_ of the Captain." Gibbs smirked in a secretive way before falling silent, ignoring his young companion's strange looks. Still, two out of four of them were looking on in awe at the man sitting behind Jack while Will was under the strange impression that Teague was watching Jack's back a bit ... protectively, overly so, even.

James stared in startled recognition, a memory that seemed to be from a lifetime ago surfacing unexpectedly with sudden clarity. "I ... I know that man! He saved my life, once."

"What?" Theodor and Elizabeth turned slightly envious eyes towards him while Turner was startled.

Gibbs nodded absently, also watching his Captain like a hawk, fearing he might disappear again. It should be disconcerting, seeing as how often that happens. "Aye, lad. When ye were six or seven years of age. Yer Da was after Capt'n Teague an' tried to get t' 'im by kidnappin' his son. The Keeper hadn't been 'appy 'bout it an' came to rescue 'im. In the skirmish, ye fell overboard an' the Captain jumped in after ye. Saved yer life. Knew of a father's sorrow fer a thought t' be lost son. He be a noble man. Jack takes a lot after 'im ... Being his protégé an' all." He added hastily, but no one quite noticed that, too focused on what was said in the first place.

"How do you know this, Mr Gibbs?" Elizabeth, curious as ever, inquired and Joshamee smiled at her.

"I had jus' entered the Navy and was assin'ed to the service of Admiral Lawrence Norrington back then. But Capt'n Teague was a friend an' I sprung his boy from the brig fer 'im. Was friends with the lad, since." He smiled at the memories. "That be long b'fore I met you, lass."

"So you were a pirate even while you were in the Navy?" Both James and Theodor asked in startlement, one with more surprise and disgust at no one noticing, the other with admiration, a bit of jealousy and a touch of excitement.

"Not quite, lads. I were jus' friends wiff a few."

"I say we free Calypso, so vote fer me if ya want to save yer hides!" Barbossa's voice cut through their conversation.

"We stay in here, I say!" Mistress Ching repeated her earlier suggestion and her men cheered.

"I agree wiff that 'Lizabeth lass! We stay and _fight_!" Jacord said as a war cry, his own men cheering him on with raised swords, cutlasses and pistols.

"I say we flee to land!" One of the other Pirate Lords suggested, his identity lost in the chaos. "We'll be safe there! The Flying Dutchman can't go into shallow waters!"

"Aye, that be true. But the crew isn't bound by that and can easily venture into land and kill us all like little piglets." Jack put in with fake cheerfulness, knowing it will annoy his fellow Pirate Lords. "Seen it happen b'fore. A strange sight, if I ever saw one."

"Then what do _you_ suggest, Sparrow?" Sao Feng spat at the youngest Pirate Lord present, the youngest Pirate Lord _ever_ to grace the Brethren Court with his presence. All eyes turned expectantly to Sparrow and the Black Pearl's Captain barely had the time to smile in a predatory way and say "Parley?" when a different sound pierced their ears, followed by the shouts.

"SAIL, HO! CAPTAIN JACK! YE WERE RIGHT!"


	13. Chapter 13

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

The pirates all pilled out outside of the meeting room and ran off after Jack Sparrow as said Captain hurried towards ... the paths? engraved in the stone walls of Shipwreck Cove that lead to the mouth of the Devil's Throat. The man was making haste and moving with practiced ease throughout the Cove, just as he had while acting as tour guide the day before. His ragtag crew of true misfits were already used to his eccentric antics and were the best at following him in step, his old crew and people from the Misty Lady a close second.

The run through the Devil's Throat was an exercise in balance, speed, reflexes and sheer luck. The path they were taking was unable to be seen from outside or ships who are venturing in, the Shipwreck Cove remaining, once again, an impenetrable fortress. They were tights with sudden sloops and very slippery, meant to kill any intruders who didn't know their ways perfectly while passing. The pirate only survived the trip because they could see Sparrow ahead, making the journey and copying his movements. A few random men did fall pray to the path's defenses, getting skewered on sharp rocks during the fall or dying upon impact to water at an odd and deadly angle. The run lasted well over an hour, the passage long but made shorter by a secret cave shortcut Jack took a mile into the long Devil's Throat. The Crossing lasted hours, depending on the size of the ship it can last an entire day. The run on the path and through the tunneled shortcut finally yielded their result and the pirates all stopped short at the sight before them.

And no, it wasn't even the sight of two cursed ghost ships that had them so stunned.

No, it was the fact that where the used to be a passage, there was now _land_. It wasn't much, just twenty meters in width, but it ran deep under the waves, cutting off the Cove from the rest of the sea waters that were still what had made the cave what it was. Some of the spikes were still standing tall over the pirates that had come to investigate. It was solid. It was _hard_. And it had indeed put the Cove into lock down, as this was the only entrance _and_ exit. They were isolated. Davy Jones and his crew couldn't come in. They can't sail in. Shipwreck Cove was now _inland_.

They were _safe_ from Davy Jones.

But they were trapped, like in a cage of their own making and Jack Sparrow was very much like his namesake, not meant to be put in a cage. Like a bird used to its freedom, he would wilt in a cage, dying from his lack of freedom, being trapped. He would not stand for that. Not because of Beckett and his little power hungry crusade.

As he and his fellow pirates stepped foot on the new land, Davy Jones and another figure appeared right in front of the edge of the land, using each other as an anchor for their powers, Jones teleporting the other to where they wanted to be and the other helping him stand on water like a ghost. They both snarled at the gathered pirates, the black ghost man stabbing a few pirates who were within arm's reach at the water's edge, which caused a brief bout of mayhem, the pirates scrambling away for their lives. In the rush of movement, the Pearl's crew was pushed back and away from their captain. Will and Elizabeth got separated but both tried pushing their way towards their friend but the stampeedo of pirates was merciless. Barbossa was the only Pirate Lord that dared to keep his ground, but he had been five meters behind Jack and he still stumbled a few feet back due to all that pushing and shoving. Gibbs ran with the crowd and Ragetti was trying to keep a firm hold on the eight collected Nine Pieces of Eight while Pintel was lying on the floor and trying to keep his vulnerable parts safe from stomping feet. Marty the midget had ended up at the top of the crowd and was gladly being carried away from the water's edge while Mr Cotton and his parrot hid behind some stones by the walls of the Devil's Throat. Groves found himself nearly falling off of the new 'land' on the opposite side of the two cursed captains while James and Sparrow's first official crew were trying to push their way towards the man himself.

In all that commotion, Jack Sparrow was the only one who had not budged, not been moved at all, not a single inch despite how many people had run past him, shoving and pushing and rushing to get away and save their own necks. His face remained impassive but his stance was proud, his back straight, chin up high. He faced forwards, not batting an eyelash when his fellow pirates scrambled by past him.

When it all settled and everyone was as far away from the water's edge as they could get on the small piece of 'land', the Black Pearl's eccentric Captain was only just out of arms and swords reach from the edge.

Right in front of him stood the sea-creature covered Davy Jones in all of his ugly glory and the cursed ghost of a once great captain, Capitán Armando Salazar. The captains of the Flying Dutchman and Silent Mary were as close to their adversary as they dared or could approach the land, looking as though there was nothing they'd rather do in this world or the next than just reach out and snap Sparrow's neck or run him through. James just made it to the front of the crowd of pirates when the Spaniard spoke.

"Sparrow. Jack the Sparrow. Jack Sparrow." Salazar kept repeating over and over again, tilting his head from side to side like a curious cat, dancing from one foot to the other. He was studying Jack like he was a particularly interesting painting he wanted to buy, taking in all of the changes the pirate boy he had first met during the battle near the Devil's Triangle. It had been many, many years since they had first and last met and the both of them had changed, in different ways, but changed they are nevertheless. "Do you remember me, Jack Sparrow?"

"Aye." Jack nodded solemnly, meeting Salazar's gaze evenly, tipping his head in respect. "Hard to forget you, Salazar. Very hard to forget the man that renames you, indeed."

"Renamed you?" Norrington echoed, drawing the attention of Jones to himself but Salazar still only had eyes for the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean.

"Long story, mate. I'll tell ye later." Sparrow replied shortly but Salazar cut him off.

''You took _everything_ from me that day, Jack Sparrow, and filled me with _rage_. And you gained everything from it: I named you, I made you a Pirate Lord and a Captain of your own ship. And yet _you mock me so_. Just like you mocked me that day.''

James came to stand by Jack's side when the youngest of the Captains spoke again. ''I never mocked you. I taunted you, yes, presented you with a bait I knew you wouldn't be able to resist. But I never mocked you. You were a far too formidable opponent to mock. I would be mocking me own fallen fellows if I had mocked you.'' Salazar looked stunned at this and Jack wasn't even finished yet. ''Quite frankly, I respected you, if just a bit. You were a good and fearless captain but you were a threat to everything I knew. I gained a crew that day and their lives were in my hands. I chose them and all others like them and I fought you. You chose to chase me, to follow me to the Devil's Triangle. My ship was always the fastest in these waters, Salazar. You had no hopes of catching the Wicked Wench. Yet you chased us and to a highly difficult to maneuver area, despite your enormous ship. I played on a weakness and you played into my trap. I did warn you.'' Sparrow lifted his head just the tiniest bit higher as he said his next words. ''Surrender to me now and I will let you live.''

"Still mockin' us even now, Sparrow?" Davy Jones spat, his face tentacles wrighting about his chin angrily.

"Still got a crew to protect, mate." Jack countered, eyes flicking over to the Captain of the Dutchman. "Unlike you, my fish-faced friend, I actually strive to _preserve_ my crew to the best of my abilities."

"Is that why ye've tried to amass one hundred souls for yer crew in Tortuga?"

"No, I bargained for more time with you so I can find the chest. Just because you've forgotten I'm all about freedom - and considering the number of soul's you've offered in return and the reason why you raised my ship from the bottoms of the ocean, you must have some really lousy or very selective memory, mate - doesn't mean I've forgotten." He replied while James - and the rest of the pirates - altered between watching the Pirate Lord, Calypso's lover and the Butcher of the Sea as though it were a particularly interesting tennis match. "So just run along now, before I'm actually forced to find a way to kill you. Wouldn't want that, now, would we?" He smiled disarmingly and Jones growled. Jack turned to leave when he paused and a thought occurred to him. "Oh! And while ye're runnin' off to his Lordship of Miggetness." Not even Jones or Salazar could resist snorting at the tittle given to Beckett and the pirates behind Jack weren't even trying. "Tell 'im that unless he wants to spend the rest o' his miserable life waitin' outside this cave, I'd like to meet him fer parley. Run along, now."

Jones made a sound that greatly resembled what the Kraken used to make before sinking a ship but Jack had been through that personally so he wasn't intimidated like Jones would have liked. "I'm not yer messenger dog, Sparrow!"

"No, but ye seem t' be Beckett's, so, off ye go. Shoo!" He even dared flap his hands as though shooing a mongrel mutt away. Needless to say, more than one mouth dropped at the blatant lack of fear towards the Captain of the Flying Dutchman, who was now greatly regretting not securing this particular pirate in his Locker better.

He glowered one more time before disappearing, leaving Salazar behind to awkwardly stare at the pirates as Barbossa, Gibbs and some of Jack's old crew dared venture to the front of the group. By the time Jones reappeared with a scary scowl on his face, Elizabeth, Will and Ragetti and Pintel had also joined the group but none quite dared to stand besides Sparrow before the two cursed captains. "Lord Beckett 'as agreed to parley. When and where, _Jack_?" He sneered the name, using it instead of his usual address for Sparrow in mockery of Beckett himself.

"Two days from now. There's a small spit of land seven hours of sailin' from here. I'm sure ye know of which one I'm talking about." Jones grunted in assent and Sparrow beamed. "Then it's an accord fer parley!"

"I hate ye, Sparrow," was all Jones replied with. Salazar looked both intrigued and very unhappy with the turn of events. He may have known his enemy for that hour or so he had chased him before his demise, but he could tell the pirate was planning something. That did not bode well, as far as Salazar's experience with him said.

"When ye see the sails of me Black Pearl, tell his Lordship to start rowin'. And warn 'im fer me, aye, Salazar?" The Spaniard looked a bit surprised to be addressed. "Warn him that I didn't forget how this whole mess started and his part in it all. I'll avenge the Wicked Wench and protect the Black Pearl with all that I am. And he better be aware of that before he does anything ... _stupid_ , _¿si?_ "

Salazar just nodded, never once having taken his eyes off of the one who had caused his death. " _Si_ , Sparrow." He suddenly dove into the water beneath his feet, startling even Jack with the suddenness of it while Norrington and many others had instinctively drawn their weapons. His return cause even more commotion while just earning a perplexed arched eyebrow from Jack. "Come here, my little Sparrow." He beckoned while extending a fist, his other hand far from his weapon to show it was not a trick.

James scoffed at his fellow used to be pirate hunter's actions, thinking him incredibly stupid for even for a second believing that Jack would come anywhere near him. His scoff was echoed by Barbossa and many others, only for them all to exclaim in panic when Jack approached the ghost, only one step so that when he extended his own arm, their fingers would be barely touching. James tugged Jack away just as Salazar opened the palm of his hand and something fell into Jack's own hand.

"Are you _crazy_ , Sparrow!? He could have tried to kill you!"

"Ah, but he didn't." Jack replied, his own eyes now trained on James instead of their two adversaries. He had not expected to be pulled away like so, or for Norrington to be so genuinely worried for him. How strange it all was, indeed.

"Let us go, _hombre_." Salazar said to Jones and spared no parting words for the pirates watching, even if he did grumble a "I will see you again, soon, my little Sparrow." Jones sneered at them before transporting both himself and the Spaniard away. Jack was surrounded by his friends and crew in an instant, all of them demanding explanations.

"What did you mean by him 'renaming' you?"

"Why did you say the Wicked Wench was _your_ ship?"

"Why would you need to avenge her? I thought you loved the Pearl above all others!"

"What did 'e mean by ye takin' his everythin' and gainin' everythin' yerself, Jack?"

"What did 'e giv' ya, sir?" They all stopped at Gibbs' question, staring at Jack's closed hand that held the mysterious object. Jack started walking as he answered, heading back towards the Cove and into the meeting room. Everyone listened to him speak and followed him like they were sheep and he their herder.

"When I was eighteen, Captain Morgan died in a battle known as the Battle of the Devil's Triangle, where a fleet of pirates gathered to make a stand against El Matador Del Mar. He made his little cabin boy - yours truly - the next captain of the Wicked Wench by passing on his Compass to me. I tricked Salazar into following me and the Wench towards the Triangle, but I maneuvered a last minute bootleg turn so we wouldn't sail into that hell. He and his whole crew went up in flames within minutes of entering the cavern. During the chase, he kept calling me _Jack the Sparrow_ , _Little Bird_ and just plain _Sparrow_ and the name stuck with the crew. From that day on, I was Captain Jack Sparrow of the Wicked Wench. A year or so later," he explained as he entered the shortcut, everyone still closely listening to his story. "I found myself in Beckett's employ after the Company stole the Wicked Wench. I agreed to sail as her captain - of course I did! She's my beloved ship! - but refused to carry slaves. I carried and transported all sort of cargo, even the powder, but I wouldn't transport slaves. There's a long story with an African princess involved that I won't go into detail about, but the end result was that I wouldn't reveal a certain secret location to Beckett and I had stolen the princess who had been his slave and returned her and her brother to their hidden kingdom. In return, Beckett made me transport slaves but in order to keep me from refusing, he offered to let me buy the Wicked Wench from him for one shilling."

"What happened?" Elizabeth barely dared to breathe out for fear of stopping the story.

"I left my crew at shore, took some miscreants with me to the Wench and sailed off before freeing the slaves. Only Beckett had suspected it would happen and he had followed me with a small fleet. They took me from the Wench, branded me a pirate and Beckett ordered my ship be set on fire. He made me watch as she burned and sank." His old crew winced while his new one shivered at the coldness his voice contained right then. "Of course, he hadn't expected for me to break free, jump overboard and swim to her, trying to save her. Nearly died, that day. Beckett left me to die with my ship, so he didn't know that, at the ends of my ropes and refusing to let the Wicked Wench go, I had summoned Davy Jones and made a bargain. Eternity aboard the Dutchman in exchange for thirteen more years as my ship's captain. Eager for a competent sailor, Jones had agreed and raised my Wicked Wench from the depths. Only her once pristine white sails were crotched and she had turned black from ash. I replaced the sails with black ones and painted her black all over, did some repairs - all by me lonesome, mind you. And I renamed her."

"The _Black Pearl_." His audience breathed in stunned understanding while Barbossa could only stare at him with wide eyes, not believing how much his once Captain would do for a ship. Yes, the loveliest and fastest ship to set sail, but still just a ship.

"Aye. The Black Pearl. Ye know the rest of how that story goes."

"Aye," Barbossa muttered uneasily, finally understanding the levels of rage Jack had harbored all those years.

"I became a Pirate Lord after defeating Salazar, you know. That's why he said I gained everything. My name was given to me by him. I gained my fame from his defeat. Well, some of it." He grinned. "There was that whole Sword of Cortez thing and those other few of me adventures that I've been tellin' ye about. Interestin' life, I've lived."

"And what did he give you just now?" Will asked as he and Theodor looked over Elizabeth's and James' shoulders respectively to get a glimpse of his hand as it unfurled to reveal ...

"A sign of respect. To a formidable opponent." Jack said without looking at it, going straight forward with unfaltering steps. He ignored how the rest gazed at the black pearl in his hand.

When they all finally returned to the meeting room, it was a completely different atmosphere that filled the chambers. Captain Teague looked up at their entrance, eyes once again locking on Jack Sparrow as he came to stand at his place at the table before the meeting had been interrupted. "Are you ready to vote?"

"Aye," Jack replied but the responses of the other Pirate Lords was unexpected.

"Captain Jack Sparrow." Mistress Ching declared with all confidence. Her men bowed their heads towards the stunned young Pirate Lord in acknowledgement. The Pirate _King_ , already, for he will have at least one vote more than the rest.

"Jack Sparrow." Jacord voted, tipping his hat in respect to the said man. Who was positively gaping now.

"Captain Jack Sparrow." Chevalle said next, not looking pleased at all.

"Sir Sumbhajee votes for Captain Sparrow." Sumbhajee's remaining speaker exclaimed next.

"Me vote be fer Jack!" Sparrow was now staring at them all as Ammand nodded decisevly.

"Captain Jack," Eduardo voted.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Barbossa surprised them all, causing black kohl lined eyes to gawk at him and Sao Feng glower at him. "Ye be the only one 'ere who knows all three o' our enemies. I trust ye'll be able to lead us to a victory most satisfactory fer us all."

"You've all gone mad!" Sao Feng hissed, glaring at the new Pirate King.

"Be realistic, Sao." Ching chided. "He's the only one who has faced either of the three enemies waiting for us outside and lived to tell the tale."

"He wants a parley!"

"And so far," James spoke up in a deadpan drawl. "It has worked out well for him. He _is_ still alive, is he not?"

"He _did_ manage to buy himself some time with Davy Jones." Will pipped in, ignoring the glare he got from the Singapore Pirate Lord.

"You expect him to pull a miracle out of his ass! When even releasing Calypso isn't a sure victory!" Sao Feng snapped. "What hopes do we have without Calypso?"

"Who ever said we won't be releasing Calypso?" The new Pirate King asked with an arched eyebrow, finally snapping out of his shock at the new title. He had not been expecting this when Barbossa had tried to drag him along to Shipwreck Cove. Not in the least.

"What?" Sao Feng gaped at his enemy and Sparrow just grinned.

"We just need to negotiate a few terms." Jack turned his back to them then, making as if to leave. "We can always come to an accord with her. Have to make sure she won't turn on us. After all, it was the first Brethren Court who had sealed her and every Pirate Lord that had kept her sealed since." He looked at them over his shoulder, arms resting at the small of his back. "We'd be right fools to not release her but even bigger fools to do so without assurance that we'll all live afterwards. I happen to already have an accord with our bound sea goddess. Now we just need to see to this parley with Jones, Salazar and Beckett."

"Releasing Calypso with assurances of our survival?" Sao Feng repeated, as if to make sure he had heard right. At Sparrow's nod, Sao gave one of his own. "I vote for Jack Sparrow."

Sparrow whirled around to gawk at him again while the room cheered for the new Pirate King. Captain Teague stood up, standing beside the gaping man and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Does the Brethren Court acknowledge the new Pirate King?"

"Aye!"

"Then what say you, Jack Sparrow, Pirate King?" The room fell silent, watching the slack jawed pirate. He snapped out of it and faced his friends, his crew and his fellow pirates. They were all looking expectantly at him and he knew he had to make a decision good for them all. He straightened his back and said in his best Captain voice.

"Prepare every vessel that can float and defend itself. We sail out at dawn in two days hence. We sail to _victory_ , me hearties!"

"YO HO!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"Escaping your faithful subjects, Sparrow?" Jack smiled at the by now very familiar voice, turning around to meet the amused gaze of one James Norrington, dressed in his dirty uniform blue coat and a new shirt and pants more befitting his new life as a pirate. He came to stand by Jack's side on one of the tilted main decks on the shipwrecks, not daring to lean on the railing like Jack was right now for fear of it snapping beneath their combined weight. "Or should I call you 'your highness'?"

"I prefer your majesty, actually." Jack snarked back and James chuckled.

"What are you actually doing here, though?" He inquired still, much more seriously this time. "We have only tonight more to finish preparations and get rest before the battle that is to come on the morrow. I thought you'd be with your ship."

"I wanted t' get away from it all fer a while. This was not wot I was expectin' to happen when I finally agreed to set sail for Shipwreck Cove." The new Pirate King admitted with a sigh, shuffling closer to his taller companion. James jumped in surprise when he leaned against his shoulder and upper arm, just resting against the former Admiral and Commodore. Norrington felt a blush creeping up his face and hoped his companion won't look up to see his embarrassment.

"Tired, I see." He teased - or tried to but he wasn't sure it had worked out as well as he hoped for. Sparrow just nodded.

"Aye. Never thought I'd 'ave to babysit eight Pirate Lords and their crews. Babysittin' the Caribbean was difficult enough." He said with a moan. A sound that surprised Norrington when it caused an interesting shiver to go through his entire body. "Bloody Beckett. Stupid midget had t' go an' make my life difficult. I didn't _want_ to become the Pirate King! I jus' wanted to sail me ship, go on adventures and find hidden treasures. I 'ave no idea how to lead an army." He suddenly jolted and fluttered around like an excited bird until he was standing in front of James, on his toes, eye to eye with him, hands on his chest, looking at him hopefully. "But _you_ do! Ye were Commodore! Admiral! Ye'd be a good leader if my plans fail."

James arched an eyebrow in amusement and shook his head in humor. Although he _was_ faltered by the compliment to his leadership skills. Still, he wasn't going to take up Jack's job just because the Captain wasn't comfortable taking into account all these lives. "They trust _you_ to lead them. To them, I am nothing more than a random pirate from your crew. And I would rather like it to stay that way so no one decides to kill me."

''You'd still be a better commander than I would.'' The other insisted and James frowned.

''I'm not so sure about that. You seem to be a very good Captain and pirate despite my first assessment of you back in Port Royal. You don't falter when facing impossible odds and survive situations that should be hopeless, somehow dragging your entire crew and anyone vaguely on your side along for the ride to safety. Lady Luck favors you and Lady Fate seems to be very fond of you since they keep you away from death. Despite your many, many flaws of character-''

''Oi!''

''Lack of common logic and sense-''

''Hey!''

''And any self-preservation skills-''

''Now that jus' ain't true!''

''And the amount of idiocy that you seem to posses in spades-''

''Now ye're jus' bein' mean!''

''You strangely _are_ truly one of the best pirates to have ever sailed these seas and you command your crew well. Their loyalty to you speaks for itself, Jack. The faith the Brethren Court seems to have in you confirms it. You are far better than one would expect from you or what you expect from yourself.''

The sincerity in Norrington's tone gave Sparrow pause and he considered his companion in wonder. ''Never expected such high praise from ye, mate.''

"Don't get used to it." Jack just chuckled and they continued to just stand there in silence. They were both grateful for this moment to just breathe and rest after the preparations for the battle that was going to take place come morning. Sparrow had been pulled in every direction while giving out orders as they prepared for war. He was a truly competent leader when the mood strikes him and he didn't even seem to be consciously aware of it. James had watched him the whole day from the corner of his eye as he and Theodor helped prepare the Black Pearl, stocking her with powder and cannonballs and ... arrows? Apparently Jack and his father respected the older weapons more and James had to agree that a flaming arrow to the sails was more effective than a cannonball. It had a farther reach as well and that was why Jack was so busy. The Cove had a limited number of archers and they had to be distributed among the hundreds of pirate ships fairly so it will be effective.

Still, Jack had handled it impeccably with little to no help, proving he would be a good leader in all of this, if it came to a fight. Sparrow survived on his wits alone at times and that was what the Brethren Court was counting on to save them this time around as well. James and Theodor had watched it all happen in admiration ... until Andrew Gillete arrived, frantic and half desperate to speak with Sparrow about what he knew of Beckett's plans and utterly surprised to see Norrington and Groves there as part of the crew. He told Jack all he knew when he recovered from his shock and was surprised when Sparrow said he had already figured it all out on his own.

"This Compass of mine, ye see," he had said, pointing to the above mentioned navigation device. "It warned me they were doin' somethin' ungodly wiff an old enemy of mine. They freed 'im from the confines his curse put 'im in an' took him wiff them to fight us. We jus' barely put up our defenses b'fore they got 'ere. You got in on the last boat b'fore we closed the passage. You were lucky, ya see. If ye had missed that boat ye would 'ave been fair play fer the Dutchman."

Gillete had listened to everything that had happened since he last saw his two friends and the pirate Captain, surprised to hear the story that unfolded. When it was all finished, he added his own hands to the Black Pearl's crew, increasing the number of loyal crewmen by one more. The three navy-men were a great addition to the crew and their presence bolstered the rest of the crew to do better. They hadn't wanted to seem not as good as the navy boys and the preparations had been finished on the Pearl first. Jack had disappeared not long after that to avoid one of the Keeper's men that was rushing to deliver some message to him.

No one had seen hide or hair of him until now, when James had found him.

"Why are you avoiding the Keeper and his men? Didn't you promise Captain Hugo that you will speak with him for him?" The ex Admiral asked him after a long moment of silence.

Jack stiffened for a second before forcing himself to relax against his companion again and letting out a sigh. "Hugo has nothing to fear from the Keeper. He didn't do anything that required the Keeper's interference. He's just paranoid that he had disappointed him somehow."

"And what's _your_ history with the Keeper? Gibbs told us you were his protégé and implied that Captain Teague was very fond of you."

"Aye, we have a history, too long and complicated for a single night of telling. And Mr Gibbs ought to stop spreading stories."

"So what he said was true." James was finally getting the hang of pulling apart Jack's words and stories got the truth and point in them that the man hid with all his might. It was as though he didn't want others to know that he told the truth more often than anyone would ever believe. The man very rarely outright lied but you had to learn to pick out the truth in his words.

Jack stayed quiet for a moment before conceding. "In a way." He looked up at Norrington through his eyelashes, looking unintentionally coy. And very distracting. "Why do ya want to know?"

"Let's just say I want to get to know you better. You _do_ hold my life in your hands." Feeling unsuspectingly bold due to their close proximity and oddly intimate conversations since he had saved Sparrow from the gallows, James leaned down to whisper in one tanned ear. "And I find you utterly _fascinating_ in ways that may not be the most appropriate. Rare few men have ever caught my attention, _Jack_."

The Pirate King looked up to gawk at him but a strong blush was visible on his tanned cheeks. It was decidedly cute and less visible than the blush no doubt coloring Norrington's own pale cheeks. Still, the ex navy-man didn't back down and instead stepped more closely to the pirate, whose eyes darkened with lustful interest, turning around so they were face to face, so close that their chests were touching. "And I have caught your interest, luv?" His voice had turned deep and sultry with desire and James' green eyes darkened until they resembled a stormy sea while a shiver worked its way down his spine and a pleasurable warmth settled in his stomach.

"Indeed you have," James leaned down to breathe across Jack's ear and cheek, before shifting a little so they shared the same air, their breaths mingling together and brushing across their lips. "Question is, may I keep yours?"

"You may." Jack breathed out as an answer before closing his eyes and leaning up to claim James' lips with his own. The ex Commodore gladly reciprocated, pressing more hungrily against the pirate. He had saved this man's life only to be accepted by him in return and the past few days in his company had let him get to know him better. Captain Jack Sparrow was everything the stories said him to be - brilliant, mad, adventurous, a bit cowardly but impossibly brave and loyal to his friends, savvy, fun, annoying, _impossible_ \- and so much more. But most importantly, he was a good man that James had come to respect and become very, very fond of him. He was still unsure how far that fondness went, but he feared he will not get another chance to find out. Tomorrow, they go to war, against a fleet of His Majesty's Royal Navy - his once colleges - and two cursed ships with undead crews that are either impossible or very hard to kill. They might not survive, despite Sparrow's rather clever plan.

And James wanted to taste the man he had been obsessed with and became incredibly fond of. Jack seemed to understand and was just as eager as him so Norrington pushed him towards the only remaining mast on the ship, causing a startled moan from his and giving him the chance to slide his tongue in, tasting rum and spices and something uniquely Jack as he explored every inch of his Captain's hot mouth. The older man moaned in pleasure as he let himself be ravaged while James grabbed hold of him under his knees and lifting him up so that they could get as close as possible. He was delighted to feel that Jack was enjoying this as much as he was, judging by the bulge pressed against his own. When Jack tightened his thighs around his waist, Norrinton released his knees and instead let both hands rest on two firm globes that were Jack Sparrow's butt and grind against the Pirate King. Jack's head jerked back, hitting the yardarm, eyes wide and a gasp ripping from his throat that was now offered up to the once officer, who gladly took up the invitation, helping himself to the sexy throat.

Warm hands were suddenly pushing at James' chest, a bit too insistently for his liking but he reluctantly pulled away to look at the panicking pirate in his arms. "Having second thoughts?"

"Having thoughts on what me Da' would do to ya if we get caught here!" Jack blurted and pushed him back some more so he could get his footing back. "I don't want you to die! Or become an eunuch!"

Since there seemed to be genuine worry in his companion, James just smiled and took one of his wildly fluttering hands and placed it to his lips, kissing a knuckle as though Jack was a lady. The move stunned the pirate into stillness and quiet and black eyes just stared at the taller man in shock. "Then perhaps we can change location?" He separated one finger from the others and drew it into his mouth like he had seen wenches do to sailors in Tortuga. "Perhaps somewhere ... more private?"

Jack made a strangled sound in the back of his throat before he surged forward and drew Norrington into another electrifying kiss. Then he turned around and started dragging him along back towards the pier. James didn't put up one ounce of struggle as he followed the horny pirate, chuckling at how the usually smooth and savvy man acted like a deprived young sailor offered some pleasure after months at sea. Then again, as much as James knew, Jack had not been with anyone for months before his year long stint in the Locker and he had been too busy with the whole Brethren thing since his revival and running away from both Beckett and Jones. This was actually probably the first contact of this sort that Jack was indulging in in who knows how many months. And he was sure that part of why he hadn't was because he didn't feel safe enough to indulge himself anymore. So many people had wanted him dead or had betrayed him in the span of a month before he ended up in the Locker - and many of them were close friends of his! - and there were quite a few betrayals after his return, too, that it was no surprise that he no longer wanted to be so intimate that he was vulnerable in front of a lover.

James felt humbled that Jack was allowing him to be the first one allowed to see him in such a state after it all, especially since he had also been one of those who had betrayed or wanted him dead at one point. Especially since he had nearly delivered him to the gallows twice. But he had somehow earned himself Jack's trust, protection, admiration, acceptance, _forgiveness_ and even affection, it would seem, and he wasn't about to ruin it. James was going to make sure this was going to be good for Jack. James always made sure his lovers were satisfied - and he had had quite a few since he ended up in Tortuga, of both genders - but he was going to make sure this time was special for them both because this was _Jack Sparrow_ and he wasn't like anyone else.

He looked up at the back of that unruly head and smiled despite himself. He wasn't sure when he and Jack found any common ground or started getting along, when respect for a worthy opponent had become a companion, a friend and more, but he wasn't complaining and he will make sure Jack wasn't, either, in a few minutes. He walked closer and used his free hand to shift away Jack's dreadlocks from one ear so he could lick its shell, enjoying the way his soon to be lover shivered and paused in his step for just a second before hastening his strides. He was very proud of himself for being able to make this far more experienced man act in such a way; it was quite an ego boost. Although he himself was rather eager to get their night started so he hoped Jack wasn't taking them too far.

When he felt a pair of eyes on his back - something that had saved him from being stabbed at Tortuga, this newly developed paranoia - he looked over his own shoulder and met a pair of eyes as impossibly black as Jack's as one Captain Edward Teague tipped his hat downwards with a nod.

He wondered why that felt an awful lot like permission and a blessing.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

As it turned out, Jack was leading them back to none other than his precious Black Pearl for the evening. It was eerily silent in the Cove, especially considering the number of pirates within it, but the upcoming battle had chased everyone to seek company, food, drink and pleasure inside the taverns within the citadel and for once the Keeper's men could rest beyond keeping watch. The ships docked in the harbor were just as silent, watched over by the Keeper's men so there is no foul play in stealing cargo, booty or ships themselves. Rare few had stayed aboard their ships, not even their captains. Even Barbossa had went off to search for some pleasurable company after having none for ten years of his curse and then dying before he got the chance to do anything. Even Tia Dalma had skulked off somewhere, not to be disturbed.

The Black Pearl was silent and all but abandoned when Jack surely lead his companion and soon to be lover aboard. The ease with which he walked around the rocking, dark ship was not something James had achieved with any of his ships in the past but he remembered Tia Dalma's words - how Jack had bound his soul to this ship when he traded it to Jones so she could sail again - and he guessed it was to be expected. He wondered if anyone could challenge the Black Pearl's place in Sparrow's heart and then scuffed quietly to himself.

Of course no one can. The answer was so obvious that Norrington for a moment contemplated just how much lust had addled his upper brain functions.

He blamed it on Sparrow and his sea legs walk. On land, it looked silly and unsteady, although the man had a certain grace to his gait that many ladies would envy him for, what with the way he swayed his hips so seductively. On a ship, Sparrow's gait became something that looked so steady and confident and strong that one wondered if even the nastiest of storms could knock him off his feet.

Remembering the last storm he had sailed through - and with such tragic consequences - James decided not to think on it anymore. Instead, he focused on the present and enjoyed the sway of the hips and bottom in front of him as Jack led him to the captain's cabin, quickly opening the doors and letting them in. The doors were quickly closed behind them and locked before Jack let go of him and fluttered over to the big desk in the center of the room to take of his precious Compass, tricone hat, pistol, saber and coat. As this was the first time James found himself in here, he took a moment to survey the room that he found to be utterly Jack Sparrow.

Everything in the cabin was made of some fine wood that looked almost charred with how black it was. It looked as though a fire had engulfed the entire cabin once and these were the remains. Yet the furniture was elegant, more fitting on a ship meant to transport someone of high social standing than a pirate ship. The room was full of seemingly random objects littering the floor, the desk, the shelves and even a few chests of varying sizes and colors, although three were as a charred black as the rest of the furniture. These items varied from books - and there were a _lot_ of them, from how much of the well lit cabin James could see, and in a dozen or so different languages - charting equipment, written or empty parchments, bottles of different liquor in varying degrees of emptiness/fullness, clothing articles that had probably been used as disguises at some point, bowls, cups, stacks and stacks upon stacks of maps and a lone globe of the world. On one wall, there was a huge, most detailed map of the Caribbean and its neighbors that James had ever seen and it looked like there were at least ten other maps pinned beneath it.

Beckett would probably kill to see these maps. Jack was right about one thing: no navy, no matter how much they explored, knew the sea and its secrets like pirates did. Isla Cruces, Isla de Muerta, Shipwreck Island were surely just the tip of the iceberg of all the secrets that pirates knew of that the navy had no idea existed or had written off as just some legend or made up story pirates told. James himself would have never believed in any of it himself had he not gotten involved with Jack Sparrow and his crazy adventures. He had not believed in Davy Jones himself until he had heard his beating heart within the Dead Man's Chest, despite having fought a skeleton crew just a few months beforehand. The pirates believed in all of these stories so they knew what to search for. The navy - no matter of which country - was just left to follow behind as best as they could.

There were a few other maps on the big table in the middle of the room, beside a stack of more books and a full fruit bowl, filled with various fruits, and a bottle of rum. There was surprisingly enough a barrel with fresh water usually used for bathing and James wondered how often it was actually used. Jack's frequent dips in the ocean kept him as one of the most unusually clean pirates James had met or heard of. Maybe he did a bit extra as well?

And then there was their ultimate destination, a big bed that fit well with the rest of the room. It looked like something befitting a king more than a pirate. _Perhaps it is befitting the_ Pirate King _, indeed_ , Norrington thought with humor and irony. He observed the silky sheets and Egyptian cotton covers and wondered if the silk was from India, China, Japan or Singapore. Or perhaps Persia? He wouldn't be surprised. Sparrow had sailed the world and plundered enough ships for it to be a possibility. Although he seemed more like the type to spend his treasure than to horde it like Barbossa had done for ten years at Isla de Muerta.

James nearly jumped out of his skin when Jack appeared right in front of him with a seductive grin on his devilishly handsome face. "Wot are ye think' 'bout, Jamie-luv?" The question was said slyly and a coy hand found its way to the ex-Naval officer's partially exposed chest, so unlike his old style of dress where his uniform shirt always covered him to his throat. Jack rather liked it this way much, _much_ better. This was a pirate, _his_ pirate, from his ship and from his crew. He felt rather possessive of this man. Then again, Jack was a very selfish person so he didn't feel guilty about claiming James as his. The other man was probably thinking the same of Jack himself so who cared?

Norrington smirked, as if to confirm this thought and dipped his head closer to his companion. "Oh, just all the ways and all the places I could make you scream my name. I seem to have quite the choice from which to choose from in here and they are all _very_ promising."

The already impossibly black eyes became even blacker as they darkened with another wave of lust. Stripped of his usual affects, Sparrow seemed smaller yet wilder still and the exposed part of his chiseled chest promised to be a very nice sight indeed. Neither man were of the particularly patient sort and they surprised each other as they both lunged in for a kiss and reached for each others' shirts in the same instant, meeting half way. Not that either of them was protesting much. They were too busy devouring each other's mouth to bother much with it. Within minutes - for they were reluctant to part and give up any of their contact - their shirts were off and their breachers were unfastened as Jack backed them in the direction of the bed by sheer memory alone.

They both yelped when they tumbled down onto the surprisingly soft bed and James spent only a second wondering about it before Jack chuckled, which sent him, too, into a bout of humor. For the second time since he saved him, James Norrington was the only one to see Jack Sparrow so relaxed after his trip to the Locker and it only made him want the man more. So he climbed atop Sparrow, shifting his legs so they cradled his waist between tan knees and he kissed the Caribbean Pirate Lord breathless.

And Jack was quite enjoying the attention. After the Locker and Beckett's treatment of him, Jack was kind of desperate for some positive attention. However, the stream of betrayals and his own heightened paranoia after the ordeals he'd been through, the now Pirate King could not find it in himself to seek any intimate contact for fear of the consequences. Yes, he had been betrayed before but the sequence of betrayals and from close friends, no less, had left him rather hesitant to even _think_ about it.

James was different.

Jack had felt a sort of kinship with him from day one, even though the younger man probably didn't know just _when_ that day one had actually been. Both of their fathers were practically legends and men of great power and in high positions in their respectable societies. Both had lost their wives during their son's early childhood and had found themselves baffled regarding just what to do with them. So both James and Jack had found themselves on ships and in ports, raised to sail the seas from very young ages. Only difference was that they came from completely different sides and the fact that Jack's father had searched the seven seas for his son while old Lawrence Norrington had been disgusted by the idea of him owing a pirate for saving his son. Still, Jack and James both were greatly influenced by their dads and had come to love the sea. James loved being away from the sometimes confusing rules of society he'd rather not deal with and fulfilling his father's dream to cleanse the oceans of pirates - thankfully, a thing of the past, now.

Jack, on the other hand, loved the sea far more intimately. Tia Dalma (Calypso) thought he saw the sea as a mistress, where she - and anyone else - might not have been wrong except for one small fact; Jack felt at home, _safest_ at sea and that is not a feeling a mere mistress can induce. Jack Sparrow did indeed have a wife for his soul, a mate, in his beloved Black Pearl, but in the sea he found a different kind of love. A mother, almost. He had not known his own before she passed away, too young to have memory of her but a ghost recollection of her voice singing his infant self lullabies or telling him stories he no longer remembered. The sea had been his cradle when he was born in a storm and it had always welcomed him back whenever he had to leave. It took care of him with sternness and gentleness in equal measures that only a mother can do. He was just grateful that his 'wife' and his 'mother' got along so well or his life as a pirate might have been hellish.

But that's not the point now. The point was that James, for all that he should be Jack's polar opposite, was possibly the closest that any person could come to being the perfect lover - and maybe more - for Jack Sparrow. They were two different sides of the same world, the two sides of a coin, two edges of a sword, whatever comparison those poets and writers can come up with. As much as James thought he didn't understand the man he was divesting of his pants, he knew him the best of all in a manner that was the most important. He still didn't see all that was Jack Sparrow but he had the type of curiosity that will one day soon leave the Pirate King completely bare to him, as he was now, panting and aroused on his own bed.

Jack knew he could give this to Norrington like he could no other at this, his most vulnerable time when the Locker still had some leftover side effects on him, for he knew James at his core was a gentleman, a good man and a _giver_ before a taker. Jack needed him to be who he was so he could once again be who _he_ was and will always be. He needed him to be both gentle and rough, to remind Sparrow how to be both. He needed to be reminded how to be a good man and a pirate, for he now only knew how to be his father's heir and no one needed Jack Sparrow forever stuck in his solemn, serious and partially numb state. The seven seas would see quite a change if he stayed like this and he was not ready to make that change when he still wanted to see more and more and _more_ of the world.

So Jack will give, his all, just this once without taking anything himself, for he knew he will receive a lot more from James than the man might think. The pleasure of having those sea-life calloused hands running over his body, mapping him like an explorer might the ocean, was already stirring the old Jack out of this shell he had hid himself in after the hurts he'd suffered. The pressure of someone between his legs was a nice change to the past four or five years. He'd not been with a man like this since he lost his Pearl to Barbossa. He had always had to stay in control, to take and rarely give anything back. If his lovers were left satisfied, it hadn't really happened through Jack making sure it was such. He had just needed some fun and pleasuring someone along the way was like a bonus for them. At least it kept up his reputation.

But now it was different. He needed to be on the receiving end so he can feel just that bit more real. It was going to leave him sore, no doubt, and that was going to be annoying come morning when they must go into battle, but it would be worth it. From the way James was marking his neck possessively while a slicked finger moved into him - when did that happen? - he knew it was going to be more than worth it. This was going to be a night he will have a very hard time to forget and he wasn't going to complain at all.

Okay, maybe just a little, but it would be for fun and teasing. He was, after all, Captain Jack Sparrow.

And that thought alone let him know that he had been right even as he moaned when a second finger was added and the two digets brushed against that special sweet spot while his left nipple was sucked into a warm mouth. It was already working and so Jack threw out all thought from his head as he leaned up and bit into James' shoulder to mark the man as his own, as well. He usually refrained from doing this with any of his lovers, for it implied possessiveness and commitment he could not afford to give or promise, even if it was an empty promise. But James was a part of his crew and Jack planned on making it stay that way, so he resolved to give the man a reason to stay, sucking a red bruise on his skin before moving up to his ear and lawing quite a bit of attention to it. He throughly enjoyed the resulting shiver, as well as the hurried way a third digit joined the other two, and then a forth, all stretching him and brushing teasingly against that pleasure spot. Jack growled at Norrington for being such a tease, but before he could say anything, James thrust his fingers into him harshly, making Sparrow's sight go white and to throw his head back, neck exposed to an attack of possessive kisses. Jack grabbed a hold of Norrington's own ass when the fingers swiftly left him to be replaced with something quite bigger.

Jack was a gasping, tense mess as James entered him and the taller man tried to sooth him with kisses and caresses and sweet words that really shouldn't be exchanged between casual lovers yet felt right to say at that moment. It was rather hard for him to take it slow as the man under him was oh so _tight_ and it was driving him positively _mad_. Still, when he was finally fully in, he stopped and just gulped down as much air as his greedy lungs could take, all the while staring at his partner, who seemed to be on the border or pleasure and pain. He had not done this longer than James thought and so he resolved to make it that much better. He would very much like to ruin this man for anyone else, so that whoever his future lovers might be, he will always compare them to James Norrington, Commodore/Admiral twice-turned pirate. He already knew he will spend the rest of his life comparing just the _feel_ of Jack to whoever he might take to bed in the future.

 _'Maybe they were right, those wenches in Tortuga,'_ he mused as he closed his eyes to get a grip on his self-control, usually hard as steel but strangely non-existing at the moment. _'Just one night with Jack Sparrow will never be enough.'_

"Jaime, love." That got his attention and he met the hazy black eyes of the man himself. "I- Please. Please move."

A moan ripped straight out of his throat at the breathy plea and he didn't waste a second to draw back and snap his hips roughly, earning a sharp cry from his lover. He watched as Jack's eyes rolled into the back of his head and an idea occurred to him that made him smirk smugly instantly. It would seem he had found that right angle with which he could drive Sparrow mad on the very first thrust. How very interesting, indeed.

"Do that again!"

"Of course, _your majesty_ ," he teased and did as bidden, earning another gasp from his companion. He set a slow pace, watching the delightful way Jack was writhing under him as though it was already too much. He let out a breathless chuckle, which made black eyes focus on him instantly. Those kiss bruised lips pursed into a pout while his eyes narrowed as Jack halfheartedly glared at the younger man.

"Don't ye go and get all smug like, you blight." He grumbled, but any further words were cut off by a moan when James thrust extra hard at that same angle, causing Jack to see white. "By the seven winds, just like that!"

"I do believe I have a right to be a bit smug, Jack." Norrington nipped on the man's exposed throat in reproach and spoke against the sweat glistening skin. "I don't think just anyone can make you react like this. I am quite honored to have been given a chance."

Jack's eyes came into focus and he struggled to get his brain working on deciphering anything but the bouts of pleasure currently surging through his body in a most delightful way. Something in that wording just now ... A lot more sincere than mere teasing was in there and he was having difficulty understanding what when James, getting impatient, picked up the pace. A startled cry was ripped out of the older pirate as his prostate was assaulted with the same strength but a lot faster and he felt his vision failing him again. He blindly reached for the man on top of him, trying to draw him in for a kiss almost desperately. If he could not think with words to figure out James' strange honesty, he will use a secret he had found out during his numerous and various encounters over the years. The way someone kissed you spoke a lot more than their words, although not a lot of people knew that. Jack had been kissed as a lover, as a conquest, as a friend, as a rival, as an enemy, as an obsession and only once as a beloved.

The way James kissed him left him breathless and he clung to the bigger man harder. Was James even aware how he had kissed him? What it meant? By the sea gods, Jack was never letting good ol' Norrington get away again!

Their pace became frantic and they both knew they can't last much longer. James pulled away from the kiss just long enough to put Jack's legs over his shoulders before leaning in for more kisses, folding him nearly in half. Not that Jack minded. It only made it all feel that much better. They moved in this ancient horizontal dance for just a handful of minutes more before they came together, ragged cries of each other's names on their lips.

As they lay panting, James slowly pulling out, both wondered if they could ever do this again and just what might tomorrow bring.


	16. Chapter 16

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

With the morning came not even an ounce of awkwardness for one ex-Admiral James Norrington and the newly elected Pirate King Jack Sparrow when they woke up together to the sound of the alarm they had all agreed upon to warn the pirates it was time to go to war. They just looked at each other, shared a smirk and got up to get dressed. Unfortunately for Jack, that's when the consequences of their night of wild sex got to him and he would have fallen right on to his face had James not caught him. Needless to say, Jack was not at all happy to be laughed at or at the smug smirks Norrington kept throwing his way.

 _Or_ how good he looked in the little light of dawn that drifted into the Cove when they climbed onto the main deck of his Pearl, half an hour later. It was not fair how that smug, satisfied smirk affected him! He was Captain Jack Sparrow, the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean and now Pirate King of the Brethren Court! He shouldn't feel so close to blushing every time James smirked at him!

Still, it was fact and he forced himself to move on to the next thing he needed to focus on. Namely, the last preparations to his beloved Black Pearl for this battle. Tia Dalma was already waiting to board her, an almost eager smile twitching on her lips. Jack feared for whatever was the answer to that one question he had asked her just a few days ago. She never gave him her response and she was bound to be miffed with him for how he had described her in front of the Court - no matter how accurate the description might have been. Yet, strangely enough, she always seemed genuinely happy to get in a chat with him since that tense conversation after he had saved her from Barbossa tossing her into the brig. Maybe Fate was smiling upon them all and Calypso won't obliterate them the first chance she gets.

The rest of his crew looked hung over but not to the point of a splitting headache, which Jack attributed to the presence of his old crew with them last night to stop them from being dead drunk in the first place. The fact that that same crew was also sailing with them put Jack at ease. His new crew had known very little battle and had no experience with Beckett. A year on the Black Pearl versus six years his old crew had - and that's just with him as Captain - was quite not enough. Not to mention that there were other pirates boarding what was now the pirate fleet's flag ship. It was not unexpected, either. The Black Pearl will leave all the other ships in the dust no matter how many men crew her. And besides, if things went sideways, Jack and his ship had the best chances of survival, so their first priority was to make sure the Black Pearl was sufficiently manned.

"Ah, Master Gibbs!" He called, delighted, when he saw his old friend. The old sailor looked up and smiled long sufferingly at the Captain as he sashed his way towards him while James walked over to a rather strange looking Groves and Gillete, the later of whom was blushing like a maiden. Jack briefly wondered what that was all about before shrugging it off and focusing on his first mate and ignoring the appearance of his traitorous once-first mate on the main deck of his ship. "I believe everything is at the ready for this, possibly last, voyage of ours?"

"Aye, Capt'n. All be ready. Yer old crew signed up t' sail under ya again and their presence made Mr Cotton, Marty and even those two idiots step up their game, so t' speak. We went from barely enough to sail to fifty men, just last night and there are twenty more who want t' board." Joshamee reported and Jack hummed in interest.

"That's good. Great. Fantastic. Jus' make sure it ain't more than that. It'll slow us down and we still don't know if we hav' a devil or two or non on our tails jus' yet. Our storage?"

"Full, sir. Enough powder to blow the Dutchman sky high. Not sure we can destroy it but we'll sure go down tryin'."

"Excellent!" Sparrow said with pleasure, turning around to regard Barbossa trying to order around the crew. He was both surprised and pleased to have ended up with Victor on his ship, although he had a good, strong suspicion that that was his father's doing. He wasn't going to complain, though. Victor was going to put the fear of the Keeper into him and he'll never dare even _think_ about commandeering the Black Pearl from him again. Especially as where Victor was lurking, so were Ian and Ivan, too. Old they might be but they were still fierce pirates, some of the best the Cove had. Watching Barbossa be told off _very_ loudly gave Jack more pleasure than was purely necessary. He fought back a cackle and instead looked to Gibbs again, who was also enjoying the sight while waiting further instructions. "Wot of our two lovebirds? I don't see 'em on deck?"

"Probably slept in. There be a lot of noise comin' from Miss Elizabeth's room las' night." Captain and first mate shared lecherous grins just as said couple and Tia Dalma finally boarded the ship.

"Ah, there ye are, luvs! Was wonderin' where ye ran off t'." He winked at Elizabeth and clapped Will on the back. "Good job, mate. We'll make pirates out of ye yet."

Will blushed like a tomato while Elizabeth glared at Gibbs, who whistled innocently. "Jack!" Said man just laughed roaringly, until Elizabeth cut off his mirth.

"Actually, we got married just last night." The two pirates paused to look at her and her words had gotten the attention of the three ex-Naval officers as well, so Theodor nudged his colleges closer to hear what was going on.

"Oh, did ya now?" The intrigued Jack questioned with an arched eyebrow. He felt rather betrayed that they hadn't invited him, even after he had forgiven them their earlier betrayals. "Who married you?"

"Well, we wanted you to do it on the Pearl, but we couldn't find you anywhere." Will began and Jack relaxed a little, although he doubted they had seen. Gibbs had, though, and just clapped his Captain on the back. "We searched for you for hours!"

"Yeah, Jack. We even got lost a few times." Groves pipped in with an embarrassed smile. "We lost James, too, when we separated. He went to look for you in the harbor but I guess you weren't there."

James had the audacity to shrug impassively when Jack threw a glare his way. That one was far more accustomed to pirate life than he had originally thought. No way was he letting him off his ship. "I kinda wanted to be 'lone fer a while. Had I known ye were gettin' married, I would've turned up."

"We know." Elizabeth reassured with a smile. "But we really wanted to get married before we potentially die today, so we found someone else. We chose him especially since he's apparently close to you."

"Oh?" There was an uneasy feeling in his gut as he wondered who it might be. "You asked Hugo?" He guessed hopefully, for Hugo was the only one who wouldn't embarrass him with baby stories. Toddler Jack was not a very savvy Jack.

The newlyweds grinned. "Even better! We asked your mentor, Jack! We figured him marrying us will make it the closest to legitimate a pirate wedding can be. And he had a Bible."

"My wot?"

"Mentor, Jack. Mentor." Elizabeth Turner replied more slowly as though she were talking with an imbecile. Jack paled as a though occurred to him.

"Unless ye're talkin' 'bout good ol' Captain Morgan, come back from the dead, then ye mean ... " He trailed off, not daring to finish the thought even as his eyes sought out the Keeper of the Code himself.

"Yes, Captain Teague!" He barely heard Elizabeth confirming his suspicious (fears, to an extent) as he stared the old pirate in the eyes from across two decks. Teague tipped his hat at him with a smirk Jack understood all to well and a hand automatically flew to his neck, covering what must have been a very impressive hickey. Judging by how the smirk widened, he must have gotten it and Jack paled even further when eyes as black as his slid to Norrington and back to him. He nearly missed Elizabeth's next words as panic began flooding through him. "Why didn't you ever tell us you were his protégé?"

"Must've slipped me mind." He answered in a meek voice, all his brain power still focusing on the smirk on Teague's face that slowly slid away as he seemed to regard James like he was an enemy he might have to deal with. Uh oh. Trouble! "You said he married you?"

"Yes. Seemed a bit eager to preform the ceremony." Will said with an embarrassed smile but his eyes were glowing with joy at finally being joined in sacred matrimony with his beloved.

"To be expected, as the closest to a ceremony we have here is for a funeral." Jack grumbled. "Damn, now we're practically family. He'll demand he be the one to baptize any whelps you get."

"Actually," Will shuffled on his feet and even Elizabeth looked a little flustered, peeking their curiosity anew. "I kind of ... forged your signature ... as the best man. And a witness."

Jack's spinning a hundred miles an hour mind came to a screeching halt and all thought of pushing James off to Hugo for his own protection flew right out of his head and he stared dumbly at ... his extended family. "What?"

Will squirmed a bit more and his wife cleared her throat. "You're the closest person to me in the whole world, Jack. Even if we constantly get in each other's way and interfere with each other's plans. You still always looked out for me and I repaid the favor in a most unfavorable manner. I thought the best way to ... wipe the slate clean again and get us back to how we were was ... If I bound us as family." He looked a little hurt as he tried and failed to meet Jack's eyes. "I didn't think you'd be bothered."

There was a long moment of silence as the three ex Navy officers gapped at the audacity of the act, Elizabeth gathered her courage to glare at anyone and challenge them to say something against it and the pirates on the Black Pearl just ... gawked at the scene unfolding before them like a bad drama. Jack stared incredulously at both Turners, his mind finally catching up with what he had heard ... And bursting out into delighted, genuine laughter as he drew the startled Will into a hug.

"Ye're a real pirate now, whelp! Welcome to the family! No take backs!" Will beamed and hugged the older man back, laughing with him as he nearly lifted him off of the ground. Jack barely winced and just winked at the bride, who was also smiling with satisfied delight. The old crew that had sailed under Jack cheered, soon joined by the somewhat confused new crew and the befuddled but always ready to celebrate misfit additional crew aboard the Pearl. Jack turned to face the witnesses with a huge grin on his face. "Gents! Ladies," he added to Tia Dalma, Elizabeth and, strangely enough, a smirking Anamaria. When she had signed up on the crew roaster, he had no idea but he welcomed her with warmth and affection. She had sailed off on a ship of her own after Jack had finally fulfilled his promise and commandeered one for her. She had been making a reputation for herself -under his flag, of course - ever since. He wondered why she wasn't with her own ship and crew. He hoped there wasn't any mutinying or marooning. "We now have one more reason to coma back victorious! Tonight, drinks all around as we celebrate this fine wedding union of the Turners!" The crew cheered and Jack looked back to the couple after a long glance at the trapped sea goddess. "Hopefully, with the proud father in tow."

Will beamed at him as even more cheering ensued. "Thank you, Jack. I can never thank you enough, for everything you have done for me ever since we met."

"No need fer that, whelp. That's what family does." If anything, the younger man's smile widened further and Jack just chuckled before looking over to James and then Teague and back to James with half panicked worry. "Now if ye'll excuse me, I have meself a Commodore to hide from the Keeper on the ship of one of his most loyal men. Ta!"

"Not so fast, Jack Sparrow!" Mrs Turner grabbed his sleeve and tugged him back with surprising strength for a lady, especially of her size. "You owe us a congratulations. And a wedding gift." The last was said with a crooked grin and Jack smirked despite himself.

"Pirate."

"You know it." The lass said confidently and her Captain just chuckled.

"Well, congratulations are indeed in order, but ye knew I'd give 'em either way. Now, as fer yer wedding gift, I find meself a bit stumped. Be there anythin' in particular that the lady wants?" He asked chivalrously with a bow and Elizabeth smiled slyly at him. That had him a bit on edge. It never spelled anything good when a woman smiled at you like that. Not for men, at least!

"Actually, I believe you have promised to explain a few things to us but never got to do it."

Jack sighed through his nose. "I thought I explained everything there was to explain!" He whined, pouting. "Insufferable woman. Fine. What do you want to know?"

"You never told us you had a mentor - _multiple_ mentors, at that. One of them being Captain Teague himself. Why?"

"My and Teague's relationship is very, _very_ complicated-"

"Not really-"

"No one asked _you_ , Master Gibbs!" Jack said snappishly to his grinning first mate before turning to his audience. "He's been searchin' fer me since I left home an' 'e saved me hide on more than one occasion. Still, he'd be the happiest if I would return to the Cove and continue on as his apprentice as the next Keeper of the Code. Like an heir, of sorts. Only now that I'm Pirate King," Jack smirked smugly to himself. "He can't do that no more. Not according to clause 109b, page 56. I really saved meself from bein' stuck in the Cove me entire life with this turn of events."

"So _that's_ why you know and keep to the Code so much!" Will gasped in realization while the rest just looked at Jack in curiosity.

"You mean to tell me you were supposed to be something akin to a supreme judge among pirates, which earns you utmost respect and power that not even the Pirate King can fully ignore of disregard-"

"Not at all, actually."

"And you gave it up? Just like that? _You_?" Andrew sounded decidedly incredulous, and for a very good reason. What pirate would pass that up? Apparently, Jack Sparrow.

"Why?" Theodor asked, intrigued, coming to the same realization as Andrew about what this meant.

"Like I said, I'd be trapped there my entire life, sailing the seas only when I needed to put someone in their place. That's not freedom, mate, and freedom's all I'm about. I'd never get to see all the things I've seen or do the things I've done and meet the people I now know. Besides," Jack shuddered as though in fear rather theatrically. "It'd make me old man insufferable. And mean I'm stuck wiff me family again."

"That's another thing that interests me, actually."

"Of course it does, Lizzy."

She ignored his sarcasm expertly. She must have gotten used to it. Or to Barbossa's. Either way, she was immune and just prowled on. "You said Captain Salazar renamed you to Jack Sparrow."

"That I did." The dreadlocked captain nodded, already knowing where this was going.

"But neither he nor you ever said what your _original_ name was." She pointed out and Sparrow just shrugged.

"'Twas Jack."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes but Norrington beat her to the question. "Don't you have a last name, _Jack_?"

Said pirate glared at him but answered anyway. "Course I do."

"Well, then, what is it?"

Jack grinned at him smugly. "None of yer damn business, is what it is."

"Come on, Jack." Will wheedled. "It can't be that bad."

A snort. "Oh, it's not bad, per see. It's just that once I start spreading it around, things will change _dramatically_. For me, most of all, since me Da will see it fit to interfere with my life even more. Worse yet if _his_ Ma starts doing it." He shuddered in true fright this time and looked over both shoulders as if to check if an old woman was creeping up on him. "Gives me the chills just thinkin' 'bout it."

"You act as though you never used your last name." Elizabeth almost asked the way she said it and Jack just shrugged.

"Not really. I used to use it as a kid but then problems in the form of the Navy, or _Navies_ started and more and more pirates and Pirate Lords came and went to the Cove and my family just decided it was for the best that no one knows they have a vulnerable, youngest member that could be used for blackmail. I stopped introducing meself as anything other than Jack long before I left the Cove the first time around and I picked up Sparrow only when I was eighteen. So, yeah. My last name is all but forgotten." He shrugged again. "It's fer the best."

"Are you telling me your father is here, on one of these ships and you haven't talked to him before what is possibly the last battle of your lives?!" An angry William demanded and Jack's continuance changed in the blink of an eye.

"Me and my father are a different sort to you and yours, Mr Turner. You better be rememberin' that the next time you speak wiff him. Or bring it up." Before Will could say anything else, Jack whirled around when one of the port crewmen called for his attention.

"Everything is in order, Captain. We're all ready."

"Good! Was startin' to worry there, mate. Thought we'd make his miggetness wait long en'gh fer 'im to actually try and break through the blockade. Be a waste of good ships and materials, that." He then turned to his crew and cried out on order. "Hoist the colors! We sail to battle!"

A cheer broke out and the flags flew high in the air. The Black Pearl was the first ship to leave port.


	17. Chapter 17

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"What happened to the blockade!?" A baffled, horrified and helplessly confused Theodor exclaimed when the Black Pearl came almost to the end of the Crossing and the clear, open waters of the ocean was in view. _Without_ that little piece of land that had kept them all safe from the Flying Dutchman or Silent Mary sailing right in. The Passage was clear and allowed the Crossing, but it made no sense to the young ex-Lieutenant.

Jack chuckled at his reaction, steering his beloved ship with ease through the Crossing with little effort on his part. "Couldn't get out with it in the way, mate. The whole point of it, really, is to keep intruders and invaders _out_ while letting us _leave_. Can't be pirates without open sea!"

"Yes, logically, but _how_?" Groves looked ready to either bounce out of his own skin or start shaking the pirate Captain like a rag doll to get some answers.

"The stone above the entrance to the Passage is made of a strange mineral or sediment or something. When doused with sea water, it becomes as hard as the pointy rocks we're trying not to crash into, but it only lasts two to two and a half days before it dissolves with the tides." Jack explained as the first rays of sunlight finally reached the deck of the black ship. The sails on the main mast were immediately released and unfurled to catch the wind to speed up the exit onto open waters and out of danger of Shipwreck Island's shores. The crew cheered once no more pointy rocks surrounded them and Jack smiled, caressing his ship. Like always, she had done good and not failed him. A wonderful pair, the two of them were. "We almost didn't find the Cove at all had a ship not been forced to hide by this island before the first Brethren Court was formed. Took us some time to figure out how to stop the powder from raining down on the Passage, but we figured it out and even started collecting the stuff. We have enough for ten years of continuous use and we can always get more from the Cove itself. The first Court thought it was magic when they were shown."

"I've never heard of such a sediment." Andrew said with a snide snort, to which Jack lifted his nose and returned one of his own.

"Well, ye ain't exactly an expert on rocks, are ya now, luv?" Gillete didn't respond so Jack did not pay him any further attention. "An'way, the Passage is protected by that stuff, which is really _hard_ to destroy. You'd need to waste all the ammunition you had on a ship as big as the Dauntless if you wanted to penetrate it. Doesn't pay off, mate, when we can just throw some more in and make a new one. Waste of time, powder and good minerals."

"When will we be ready for battle? Only we are out of the passage." James asked as he looked back to see a few other ships still quite a bit behind the Black Pearl, finishing the Crossing, the Ghost, Misty Lady and a few other ships that sail under the Keeper's flag the only ones doing it with ease but not the speed the Pearl had developed under her skilled Captain's hands and her natural speed.

"I'd say another couple of hours, if no fights break out." The man predicted optimistically but very realistically. "We should set course for that spit of land I mentioned to our esteemed cursed captains."

"Don't you feel any fear at all at the prospect of facing them?" Elizabeth asked curiously. After all, she had seen how desperately Jack had fought against facing Jones and paying his debt. And she imagined no one would want to face an un-dead, ultimate pirate hunter for a second time when they had defeated them the first time only thanks to a geographical advantage of knowing what will happen once someone sails into the Devil's Triangle. "Any reluctance? Any trepidation?"

"At least Beckeet and his army?" Will inquired, recalling Beckett's obsession with Jack and his magical Compass. The three former Navy officers scowled at hearing the short man's name, James a bit more protectively than the other expected of him.

"Why should I, luv, when I have an offer the good ol' Devil can't refuse. And where the Devil don't go, Death can't follow, either." Jack said offhandedly and Barbossa scowled.

"Why did ya not vote fer me when _I_ sugg'sted releasin' Calypso, but ye're all on board when ye suggest 't?" The Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea never quite forgave his fellow Pirate Lords for choosing Jack Sparrow for the Pirate King, nor did he forgive himself for doing it, also. But for his debt to be repaid with Calypso, he didn't need the Brethren's support. He only needed their Pieces of Eight and he still didn't know what Jack's was. He'll have to wait for what Sparrow referred to as the opportune moment in order to get the last piece he needed. He was _not_ going to die again.

"Because I was smart enough to throw in a bargain, an accord. My own terms." The younger Captain replied with a serious expression. "I'd rather not die by the very hand I freed, mate. 'M not that stupid."

"LAND, HO!" Came a cry from the crows-nest and they all looked up to see where the man stationed there was pointing. Sure enough, there was a small sand covered island, just barely visible over the waves, but a dozen or two meters long, about half an hour of sailing ahead. Hour and some minutes by a rowboat. They have arrived at their destination.

"Roll and tie the sails! Drop the anchor! Signal the other ships to stop and wait for further instructions!" Jack called out, adjusting the wheel so that the Pearl will be ready to go around the island should a need to attack arise. "Prepare the longboat! We'll have two rowing us there!"

"Aye aye, Capt'n!" The men scrambled to do as told while Jack turned to his companion with a grin on his face.

"Tia Dalma and I are necessary. Who else is goin'?"

"I am." James, Will and Elizabeth said immediately and shot each other rather venomous looks, since they knew there was a limited number of people who can fit into a single boat. The two dreadlocked individuals shared an arched-eyebrow look between themselves, half amused and half intrigued as to how this will turn out.

"No fair! You've all already went on so many adventures with him!" Theodor actually crossed his arms, stomped his foot once and pouted like a child. "When do I get _my_ adventure?!"

"Ye can help me hide the good Commodore here from me Da, after we survive all of this." Groves and Gillete were immediately intrigued by this, as were the Turners.

"Why would you need to be doing that?"

"Yes, why, indeed?" James said icily but Jack just glared at him.

"Yer own fault, mate. I warned ye me Da was overprotective."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Andrew hissed furiously, glaring at the Captain. Sparrow shrugged and looked away while Gibbs suddenly went as pale as a sheet.

"Capt'n ... _Jack_ ... Y' can't 'ave?!" The way his young friend would not meet his eyes said it all and Joshamee crossed himself with both hands at the same time three times, turned five times in a circle clockwise and two more counter-clockwise, stomped his feet three times and spat over the ship's railing once. When he turned back to his baffled audience, he ignored the youngsters and glared at his Captain. "I won't 'ave any part in t'is! My head is alre'dy in th' bag fer lettin' ya get eaten by the Kraken!"

"That's not yer fault." Jack countered but Gibbs just shook his head, raising his hands in surrender ... or a symbolic way of saying he won't get involved. Elizabeth shifted uneasily. She still didn't feel like mentioning the whole Kraken ordeal. "Nor do I blame you, Lizzy. If I did, ye'd be dead."

"I somehow don't think you have a power to stop that." His murderess insisted, pale, as she watched Gibbs as he kind of paced in place. How that was possible, no one knew, but he managed it.

"I can bloody well try." He looked over to see that the boat was ready. "We have room for six in that boat. Anyone else?"

"Aye, that be me." Barbossa cut in before Theodor could volunteer, stepping up to the Pirate King with crossed arms and a determined face. "There be no way I'd let ye and yer Piece of Eight go wit'out bein' sure I can still free Calypso when yer plan ultimately fails."

"My plans don't fail, mate." The two captains glared at each other grimly until James rolled his eyes, pushed Hector away from Jack and pulled the smaller man towards the awaiting boat.

"Gillete, Groves, Mr Gibbs, I assume that we can leave the ship in your care and not worry about a last minute mutiny?"

"Of course, James." The two ex officers replied dutifully, as though they were still in the Navy and James was still a Commodore or Admiral. Gibbs just nodded and promised Sparrow he will look after his Black Pearl.

"Ye better." Said Captain grumbled as he was pushed int the boat. A boat surrounded by Ivan, Ian, Victor and Marcus. He smiled at the old sailors as James got in after him. "See ya soon."

"You better survive this, Jackie." Ivan grunted while Victor pat him on the back. "Yer Da ain't young an'more. 'E won't survive ya dyin' a secon' time." Ian just nodded and put a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Don' do t'at t' us aga'n, Capt'n." Marcus spoke in the name of the Wicked Wench's crew, who all nodded all across the ship. "Don' go dyin' on us aga'n. If ye're goin' down with th' ship, then we're goin' down with ya. Ya can't leave us behin' aga'n."

"I've survived them all once already." Jack said, trying to lighten up the mood with a smile. Everyone was far too tense for his liking. "I'll survive them again."

"And he'll have us here to stop him from doing anything ... _stupid_." Will said with a smirk and Sparrow glared at him. That at least helped dissolve some of the tension and they were in the water in a handful of minutes, the crew aboard the Pearl wishing and praying for their survival.

00000

"Captain." A burly young man called and Captain Teague looked over his shoulder at him. The man was one of his newer crewman on the Misty Lady, but he was loyal and a good sailor.

"Miles." He acknowledged him with but a nod.

"Your son and five others have just rowed away from the Black Pearl, towards the meeting point. The Troubadour's long cannons are primed and ready and are keeping them in sight. We have the best man on the watch-out in the crows-nest. The Ghost is ready to sail in should they need an emergency rescue. And I've no doubt that Victor will make sure the Pearl is also ready to save her Captain."

"Good." Edward Teague was pleased and greatly relieved at the proceedings so far. It settled his fears a little that Jack will have some means of escape or protection should things go awry. "And who is it that's went with him?"

"From what Nicholas tells me, Hector Barbossa, that Turner couple you married, the voodoo witch Tia Dalma and one of those British lads." Miles reported, counting off names on his fingers. "Mr Turner and the lad are rowing."

"To be expected, as they're youngest and not ladies." Or real pirates for longer than a few days. Will Turner might have had about a year of adventuring while he sailed with Barbossa to do whatever they have done to get Jack from the Locker, but he was still far too naive to the way of the world, especially among businessmen and pirates. "Which of the British lads was it, again?" Although he had a good idea and he had to refrain from cackling at the thought of the Pirate King's unnaturally pale face when they had met eyes earlier. Oh how he loved needling the boy. He just didn't know why fear would be his first reaction.

Then again, he was _slightly_ \- just a _tiny bit_ , mind you - overprotective. And Jack knew it. Probably fearing for his new lover's life.

"The tall one with the green eyes?" Miles said - more like asked - with a shrug. "I don't know his name, sir, but he came with Captain Sparrow aboard the Black Pearl."

"Ah, that would be James, then." Teague nodded approvingly. He would keep Jack safe, if all else failed. Besides, Jack needed someone by his side that will keep an eye out for anything Barbossa might try while he was focusing on Salazar, Jones and Beckett. James wasn't quite as naive as the other two youngsters that had accompanied the Pirate King, so he will see it if Barbossa gets any ideas and hopefully stop him successfully. "Good. And are _we_ ready to fight?"

"But of course, Captain." It went without saying that the Misty Lady and her crew were always ready for a fight. As the Keeper's crew, they had to go out at most random moments to punish those who break the Code beyond what the Pirate Lords can deal with or just choose to ignore it. "Ready as we ever are!"

"Excellent. Keep a good eye out on Jack Sparrow and his Pearl and a healthy amount of paranoia as you watch the horizon." The Keeper said gravely, getting up from his seat and exiting his cabin, Miles hot on his heels. "This is the calm before the storm. _Especially_ with what Jackie has planned."

"Aye aye, Captain!"

Teague just looked out at the waters, seeing the small form of the rowboat as it made its way towards that little excuse for an island. He could see another boat approaching it and he knew it was almost time. They could now only wait to see how things will progress.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Jackie. I don't want to lose you again."

And so they wait.


	18. Chapter 18

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"Jack," Beckett was the first to break the tense silence as the two groups met for the parley with a half fake pleased greeting upon seeing his ex-employee. They were on the opposite side of the little spit of sand that they stood on from where the pirates had rowed their boat, mostly because they couldn't well drag Jones in his little bucket across the island or to the middle like would be customary for such negotiations. Nevertheless, their ships were all equally far away from the little dirt pile so it was still fair. "How nice of you to have survived. This would have been dull and very unsatisfactory had you died even after your miraculous escape."

"Believe me, Beckett, the pleasure is all yours." The dreadlocked Captain replied dryly, standing between James and Barbossa, Will and Elizabeth on either side of the two men and Tia Dalma hidden from view behind James tall frame. "However, you left me with no choice but to meet with you."

"To surrender?"

"To warn you, personally, as you seem to have ignored my good friend Salazar over there." A flash of white and gold teeth made Jack look almost predatory. "I've survived greater odds and harder situations than anything you could present me with, mate. How about _you_ surrender to me now and I'll let you live."

Salazar glared at him for bringing up their last battle but said nothing. Jones growled and Beckett just frowned. The two sailors he'd brought with them to row the boat and place Jones in his bucket shifted uneasily, grips tight on their muskets. "There is no Devil's Triangle for you to run to, Jack. Nor am I so stupid as to follow you."

"That's up for debate." Sparrow returned casually, enjoying the twitching eyebrow from the short man. "But that's not what we're here to talk about, is it? We're here to discuss how hopelessly outwitted you are and how you'll turn around, take all your pretty boats - oops, so sorry. I meant ships." Beckett actually glowered at the sardonic smirk the youngest Captain sent his way. "And you'll run back to your little King and tell him Captain Jack Sparrow sends his regards."

Cutler looked like he was swallowing glass as he turned to speak to Norrington. "So this is who you have sided with? These insolent, arrogant pirates?"

James replied as coldly as ice with just as cold a look leveled at the Lord. "I find arrogance and insolence far more preferable to mindless cruelty and disregard for human lives."

"They are _pirates_ , Admiral."

"They were _children_ and women and old men and innocent bystanders who unwittingly helped a pirate, none the wiser. And pirates are _still_ human beings." The ex-officer snapped back. "And I'm not your or your Company's puppet anymore, Beckett. I'm no Admiral. I'm a pirate." Jack beamed at how proudly he pronounced that while Will looked on in disbelief and Elizabeth refrained from clapping her hands in glee. "And proud of it." He added, as though to needle more at the men, although who he was really aiming at no one was sure, not even James himself. Salazar looked somewhere between understanding - for all that he knew Sparrow for but an hour, he knew well enough that his adversary was a charming one - and disgusted while Davy Jones looked offended that it might be directed at him.

Beckett took it as a challenge and an insult. "You will all pay for this." He declared, glaring at them all individually. When his eyes flickered over Elizabeth, he smiled cruelly. "Just like Governor Swann did for outliving his usefulness. And trying to be a hero."

James barely held the woman back with Jack's and Tia Dalma's - secret - help when she lunged at Beckett, preventing her from drawing a weapon and as such breaking the rules of parley. Will and Barbossa both glared coldly at the low blow while James finally managed to restrain Elizabeth and place her beside him, so Tia Dalma could calm her grief. His own eyes were flashing, for the Governor had been a close personal friend. He won't let his death go unavenged.

Jack's gaze was like a black flame, hotter than the sun, all consuming in its fury and a lesser man - or a less arrogant one in Beckett's case - would have turned tail and fled. As it was, Jones in his bucket and Salazar from the shallows where he was walking on water, watched in fascination the rage of the man they had never seen this angry before.

"I'll make you pay, Beckett. You'll pay for all your indiscretions over the years. You'll pay for all the lives you've ruined. For the lives you've so unjustly _ended_. And you'll burn in hell for it knowing it was Captain Jack Sparrow who placed you there."

"That is a high order, Jack. Are you sure you can meet it?" The Englishman taunted, trying to get a further rise out of him, but Jack was done with him. Instead, he turned to the two cursed Captains and focused on Davy Jones, the Captain of the Flying Dutchman and farer of the dead himself.

''I am here to engage in parley, in negotiations, with you, Captain Jones. To prevent a needless war that will only make your job harder than it should be.''

Jones glared at the black eyed man. ''I no longer ferry the dead, Sparrow. I thought ya of all people would undertan' that much.'' Then the squid-face focused on something else his enemy had said and he frowned. ''Ya can't go t' war! Only a Pirate King can declare war or parley with an opposing force an' there's not been a Pirate King since th' firs' Brethren Court. Ya have no right to fight in a war, Sparrow.''

''Ah, that be where ye're wrong,'' Barbossa cut in, saying the first thing since they arrived. ''The Court has voted and a King has been chosen. We're legitimately allowed t' be here.''

''If ye don't believe us, ye're free t' speak with Capt'n Teague.'' Jack pipped in again with that happy-go-lucky smile of his that had been most notably absent since his stint in the Locker.

''Then who be the King?'' Jones demanded to know, although he was truly curious. The Pirate Lords, no matter how many times they were changed, were never able to unite as one to the point of choosing a King. They had always voted for only themselves and so there had only ever been one Pirate King so far. He was curious as to who it was that could inspire them to vote for them. Even if just one Pirate Lord hadn't voted for himself, it said a lot about the new Pirate King, for they have inspired loyalty in another. Between pirates, and especially Pirate Lords, that was rarer than pearls.

"As ye know, 'ccordin' to th' Code, the Pirate King is the only one capable to legally and legitimately declare an act of war and a parley henceforth." Jack quoted and stopped himself from dictating on which page it was and what row and the likes of that. He literally had to bit his tongue to stop himself, a rare show of restraint when talking about things that weren't about his past. He was only hush hush on that topic. "Take yer guess, mate. It ain't that hard."

"Are ye tellin' me that the Brethren chose _that_ ," a lobster hand pointed at Barbossa, who was very affronted by the way of address and showed so freely on his face. His expression at least distracted Elizabeth from plotting Beckett's murder. For a little while. "As th' new Pirate King? Their standards 'ave dropped since th' last time I dealt wiff 'em."

Jack shrugged. "The last time ya dealt wiff the Court, ye've made it so he can b'come a Pirate Lord, Davy me dear. Remember, Capt'n Teague summoned ye to confirm a culprit who sank our own ships? Was still jus' a lad back then."

"A grievous offense on m' part, 't would seem."

"Barbossa isn't the Pirate King." Will spoke up confidently, meeting Jones eyes, _promising_ he will find a way to free his father with his stare alone. Jones had to admire that, at least. The whelp had spunk. Probably from spending too much time around Sparrow, something that made Jack preen. Will's gonna need all that spunk to survive the inevitable family reunion that was awaiting Jack when this mess was over.

"Oh, and _you_ are, Mr Turner?" Beckett, although not really following the conversation due to being quite shocked that there was a _pirate king_ , was always ready to mock someone he thought was his inferior. "Quite the accomplishment, _especially_ since you failed to even claim the Black Pearl. As if Sao Feng would have ever allowed that ship to sail away without it becoming his."

"I don't see it sailing under _your_ colors, either." Turner shot back with a mocking smirk. "Still all black. The _Pirate King's_ colors."

The only Spaniard present burst out into laughter at the stunned faces of his 'allies' as they tried to process the news. Salazar had not expected any less. Unlike Beckett, he had known about the Brethren Court, their function and the vote that would allow a King. He had faced a fleet of pirate ships in his last battle and that had only been led by the Pirate Lord of Madagascar with the 'blessing' of the Court. Unlike Beckett, he had known what he will face. Unlike Beckett, he had expected the youngest Pirate Lord to grace the Court to become the new Pirate King. After all, his little Sparrow was without a doubt the best pirate in that Court. Salazar had seen him in action and he had fell at his hand - or wit. Jack Sparrow was possibly the only one who had brought him defeat and a man who sank the Silent Mary as just a lad was definitely a good choice for a Pirate Lord, nay, a Pirate _King_.

Davy Jones was a fool not to expect it.

"They chose _you_!?" Said squid-face thundered incredulously and Sparrow just shrugged.

"Wot can I say, mate?" He grinned his disarming little grin. Only his eyes were a lot sharper with a certain killing intent in them, an intensity of seriousness that made them hard as diamonds and as cold as ice as he regarded them. It was discomforting, to say the least. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

Jones scowled. "Well, then, yer Highness, wot are th' terms fer t'is parley?" He asked bitterly while Beckett still gaped. Maybe he should have tried to wheedle Jack to his side harder. This was _not_ what he was expecting. It only made him hate the pirate more.

"I have two, actually. Regarding you." Jack replied with all seriousness, not even a shadow of playfulness or a smile in sight. James automatically straightened his back in attention while the rest watched on in interest. "I ask of you to promise to settle my debt with you and not to attack the pirate ships while returning to your former duties as a ferrymen of the dead. Simple."

"An' wot d' ya offer in return that ye think can meet that high an order, Pirate King?" The Captain of the Flying Dutchman asked in displeasure, for he so wanted to kill Sparrow. And he _definitely_ didn't want to return to his old job. Not when _she_ had betrayed him so.

The Caribbean Pirate Lord twirled one of his dreadlocks around a be-ringed finger. "Well, fer starters, I am very chummy wiff yer bonny lass and I convinced 'er to fergive ya yer betrayal. As well as promisin' t' free 'er _if_ she agrees to not only wait fer ya fer ten years but actually make monthly visits t' yer ship once she's free an' not takin' revenge on the Brethren Court or ya fer bindin' 'er to 'er bones an' all."

"What!?" More than one stunned individual shouted incredulously while Tia Dalma surpassed giggles and cackles in equal measure behind Norrington. Jones looked somewhere between incredulous, angry, resigned and utterly _hopeful_.

 _'Jackpot,'_ Sparrow thought with an internal laughter. His bet was paying off. "Ye should know by now that I'm not yer typical sailor. Calypso an' I go _way_ back. Gave me my Compass, she did. An' I 'ad a little talk wiff her. Ye don' fight us an' she'll be yer lass aga'in. Seems t' 'ave never stopped lovin' ya, even wiff the whole tentacle business." Jack wiggled his fingers in front of his chin in a hilarious imitation of said tentacles and, for once, Jones didn't take offense. He was too busy contemplating what Sparrow's words meant.

Beckett cut off their negotiations rather cruelly with a knife-twisting sentence. "I'm afraid it is not up to Captain Jones whether or not he'll fight you, Jack. I have his heart, ergo, I have the Dutchman. As such, _I_ decide whether this war will be fought. Meaning, you should be trying to negotiate with _me_." He suddenly smiled pleasantly and walked up to Sparrow so they were facing each other, but not close enough that he'd have to look up in order to meet his eyes. "Now, Sparrow, what would you do to get on _my_ good side? I can promise you that your debt will be repaid ... If you serve me."

Jack, however, completely ignored him by sidestepping him and sauntering over to a solemn Jones, his hands already in fluttery motion, his whole body animated as he talked. "I 'ave a way to free ya. Well, several, but one of 'em demands I leave me Pearl behin' and I ain't doin' that again. I'll gladly tell ya if ye jus' promise not t' attack us, settle our debt an' take Calypso back. No backies this time, luv. All fer nothin' or nothin' fer all, savvy?"

"There will be no freeing of the Dutchman!" The enraged Lord snapped, reaching out to snag Jack's arm only for a much stronger hand to wrestle his away as James glared death at him.

"Ya have a way?" Cautiously hopeful, Jones was already reaching to shake Sparrow's hand. This was too good an offer to pass up. He, too, had never stopped loving Calypso, which is why he kept away from his wretched heart as much as he could. He could still feel it beating for her and he had hated himself for it for decades. Especially every time he remembered his betrayal of her. Her's had hurt, but he had carved out his heart after his own. If she can forgive him for binding her, he could find it in his own treacherous heart to forgive her for not fulfilling her promise to wait for him after those first ten years of faithful service.

"O' course I do! I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!" The pirate even did a little bow. Davy Jones took a moment to think about it, looking away from Sparrow. The man indeed had a way of doing the seemingly impossible, improbable and downright asshat crazy things. It wouldn't be too big of a stretch to assume that he had figured out a way that had never occurred to anyone else. Jones nodded, making his decision and extending his hand for Sparrow to shake.

"Very well, Sparrow. Desp'te me own better judgment, I'll trust ya on this. Ya have my word to fulfill my end o' the bargain if ya free me."

"What!? No! Jones, stop this nonsense at once!" The Englishman ordered and his two sailors pointed their guns at the fish-man.

"Ye're gonna free yerself, mate." Jack responded, shaking the slimy appendage with no fear or hesitation. Tia Dalma was smiling behind Barbossa now, doing her best to hide her excitement. She will be free, soon. Free and with the man she loves.

"And how be I doin' that?" The cursed captain asked and the Pirate King smiled smugly.

"Simple! Very simple, really!" He pointed towards Beckett, then the sea and then the Flying Dutchman in the distance. "Cutler dearest here claims to hold yer heart, an' yet he's all the way ov'r 'ere and the thump thump is on yer lovely ship. Wiff yer loyal, water breathin' crew and simple mortal Englishmen. In the depths. Your cursed heart that beats on its own and doesn't need blood or air and can survive the pressure of the water. _And_ its in a neigh indestructible chest, whose key is _always_ on your person, eh?" He winked at Jones and ignored the dumbstruck expressions on everyone else's faces. "You can just reappear on your ship and give the command ... Savvy?"

There was a long moment of stunned silence as everyone realized that, _yes_ , this _was_ possible. A solution. A solution none of them could have ever thought up, no matter how much they tried. So simple, really, and it had never occurred to any of them _at all_. A solution, a weak spot. A weak spot borne the second Beckett ordered the heart to be placed on the Flying Dutchman so that Jones wouldn't recklessly sink ships and kill all aboard that might hold some valuable information. A chink in his armor, a chink he had ignored, not noticed at all until Jack Sparrow learned of the heart's location.

He really should have killed Sparrow aboard the Endeavor the second the pirate figured the location out.

The tense moment was broken by Salazar's incredulous laugh and slow clapping. The boy he had fought had been a worthy opponent in the making, a formidable enemy, to be wary of and to respect. Capitán Armando Salazar felt no shame or anger at being defeated by his little Sparrow. He was defeated by a worthy opponent who had outmatched him in skill and wit and seafaring knowledge and Salazar was _proud_ to have given that boy, _this man_ his name. He will never truly be content or forgive Sparrow for killing him and his men, but what ghost was ever truly happy with their demise. Still, all of that uncontrollable rage that had turned his vision red ... It was gone. He was now more indignant that he was being used by English scum when he was the great Captain Salazar, Butcher of the Sea and pirate hunter.

Salazar's laughter and clapping snapped Jones out of his own shock and he barely wasted a second to nod at Sparrow, acknowledging him as a worthy Pirate King and thanking him for his assistance, before he was gone from his little bucket. That broke Beckett out of his trance as well and he turned around to order the two completely petrified soldiers to signal a warning message to Mercer, but it was already too late as the Flying Dutchman did a sudden and very sharp dive to the depths, some screams of fright traveling on the winds towards the small island. Sparrow's entourage watched with bathed breath as the cursed ship disappeared into the seas and waited for seemingly endless minutes before the ship reemerged, magically returned to its former glory, sea-life pealing away from it and its crew. A cheer broke out on the pirate's side as the Dutchman turned and fired at the nearest ship - the Endeavor - the poor unsuspecting vessel taking heavy damage before the Flying Dutchman took to the depths once again and reappeared on the side of the pirates, right next to the Black Pearl. The Endeavor was on fire and smoking and individuals in red and blue jackets were jumping off of her deck hastily. It was sinking.

Beckett was left with a gaping mouth, no better than his sailors and Jack's incredulous group. Salazar only laughed again, sending chills down Beckett's spine even as the ghost seemed to return more and more to his old self, becoming translucent like a true ghost should.

Jack turned to the now human Spaniard in his white and black navy uniform, his long hair no longer floating as though he were in water. In the distance, the Silent Mary seemed to be rebuilding herself with ghost planks, the sails returning to their beautiful white color no matter how translucent it all was. "I see ye got yer swagger back, mate."

"So it would seem, my little Sparrow." The ghost man chuckled, almost fondly as he stood atop the water in the shallows. Jack half pouted, half grimaced.

"Ya gotta stop callin' me that. Frightful possessive, ain'it?"

"To be sure." Salazar replied coolly, his arms clasped behind his proud back like a true military man. A captain. "Then again, you _are_ mine in a way you never will be anyone else's as long as you call yourself by the name I gave you." James frowned at this and glared at the Spaniard but said nothing. Sparrow wasn't his, either. Jack Sparrow belonged to no man, just like the sea. It's why he and Calypso probably got along.

"I guess that's fair." The pirate gave in with a grumble, earning another chuckle. Jack considered him for a moment before asking his next question. "What will you do now?" He feared Salazar will stay and fight for Beckett, which would force Jones to break whatever was binding the Silent Mary and her crew to him, which would end in their souls being forever lost at sea, if not destroyed. Jack wished that on no one, not even Barbossa. And especially not on Salazar, who reminded him a bit too much of Norrington. Only James was far more merciful. But that was a train of thought for another time.

Salazar didn't even contemplate his answer. "I will pass on. But do not think this is our last meeting, Jack Sparrow." He threatened, taking a minuscule step closer to inspect the black pearl weaved into dark hair. "I will live one day again, no matter when it happens, and I will find you again."

Jack grinned at the challenge. "And we'll finish our business as new men. Hopefully with less lives dependent on us and without the whole 'to the death' nonsense."

Armando returned the grin with a smirk of his own and extended a hand for Jack to shake. "Until next time, then, my little Sparrow." As though he were made of celestial sand, star dust or whatever the hell else that was glittery, the Spanish captain and his ship disappeared with a breeze, his larger hand clasping Jack's for the longest moment before it disappeared.

"'Twas an honor, Capitán." Jack whispered to the air before focusing back on Beckett. Time to end this.


	19. Chapter 19

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

"It's over, Beckett. Surrender and leave us alone once and for all or you fare much worse than Salazar ever did." Jack Sparrow was generally a very good natured pirate that hardly ever got truly angry or blood thirsty, but he had his family's blood in his veins even if he didn't carry their name instead of the name given to him by an enemy. And his family, although also not the blood thirsty type, were not averse to killing their opponents, those who had wronged them or have truly managed to enrage them. Barbossa had experienced that iron-hot rage that stirred in their blood when Jack finally got his revenge and Beckett was going to feel it now if he didn't turn and run.

Elizabeth Swann-now-Turner had called him a good man. Will Turner and his father before him insisted on it even now. James Norrington had accepted and acknowledged that when he gave him a day's head start. Many others swore by it, despite how much Jack insisted otherwise.

But if that were true, than this is a situation even the devil would cower before.

For demons run when a good man goes to war and Jack was ready to bring hell to Earth for all that Beckett had ever done. To him personally. To his friends, his family, his fellow pirates. To innocent civilians who helped pirate folk get by. To his Wicked Wench. To his crew. To his freedom. To the sea. To Davy Jones. Jack wasn't a vengeful creature but he knew, perhaps better than even Jones himself, how to hold a grudge. Ten years he had been saving that bullet and after ten years, he had shot his traitorous first mate through the heart with it.

Barbossa had only marooned him.

Beckett had sunk the ship his soul was practically bound to.

Beckett was going to _die_ if he didn't flee now.

Beckett didn't seem to realize that and he snarled at the pirate, his back to James and the others, Jack's towards the two unfortunate sailors, both separated from their men, Lord and King. "You have yet to fulfill all of your end of the bargain, Jack."

Jack waved him off. "Little details. Calypso is here and all I need to do is preform a little ceremony. Barbossa has the Pieces of Eight. Well," he paused and lifted his hand up to finger the strange little coin that hung off of a set of beads over his red bandanna. "All except mine, but the deal was struck and I'd rather not be hunted by Jones again." He grinned sharply at Beckett. "Besides, I like Calypso. She is a fine woman and a good friend. I want her free and happy. It will be good for the Court to realize just how small they are. And for _you_ to come to respect the sea."

"Then I'll make sure you can't preform the ceremony." Beckett drew his little pistol and pointed it at Jack, only to already find himself at the end of the pirate's primed and cocked gun. Behind his back, he heard the rest of Jack's group arming themselves and he didn't need to look behind himself to see them all pointing some manner of weaponry at his back or head.

"I really wouldn't do that if I were you." James hissed in his ear as he pressed his sword to the back of his skull. Jack just arched an eyebrow when two muskets hit the sand behind him and the sound of rowing and splashing followed. The sailors, fearing for their lives, have left Beckett behind. "Just give me an excuse. Just one."

Beckett grimly lowered his gun. "Very well, Sparrow. If it is war you want, then war you shall get." The Lord and the Pirate King warily semi-circled each other before they were with their back to their own men, eyes never straying from each other. Beckett glared at the cowardly sailors who had stopped rowing now that it was apparently safe that no gunfight was going to ensue. "You will pay dearly for this humiliation."

"I only set the scales straight." The other replied, eyes narrowed. "Now we're equal."

"You will _never_ be an equal to me, Jack!" The shorter man snapped, face red. His only consolation was that the sailors were slowly approaching the little island again.

"You're right. I'll always be _better_ than you. You were but a replaceable link in a long, long chain when I was a Pirate Lord. My name was famous wide and far when no one even knew of the midget Lord Beckett." The Captain taunted back with glee as he felt James and Elizabeth come to stand beside him. He pretended not to notice how a strong arm came to wrap itself around his waist. They can discuss that another time. Preferably after Jack makes sure his father doesn't kill his current lover. "And you are now a Lord and an infamous one while I am a King, a respected and trusted and _famous_ one. We'll never be on equal ground. You are _far_ beneath me, your shortness."

"I will kill you." A steaming Cutler promised and Jack just chuckled as the man whirled around and stomped to the awaiting row boat with two nervous sailors like a child in midst of a temper tantrum.

"Better men than you have tried, Beckett. None of them succeeded so far!" He cackled when Beckett's composure broke and he showed him a very inappropriate and crude gesture. Elizabeth and James, despite spending so much time with pirates, both gawked at the rude behavior as the row boat left. Jack turned around to face them all and clapped his hands. "Com' on, chop chop. Let's get to it. Beckett won't wait to attack us. Better get back to the Pearl and get this over with as soon as possible. My lady," he did a theatrical bow to Tia Dalma, who only smiled half fondly, half ferally at him. "It would be my honor to conduct the ceremony on my Black Pearl - with the condition you don't accidentally or purposefully destroy her, of course - and, if ye're interested," a cheeky wink that got a chuckle out of the woman. "A weddin' ceremony fer the happy reunited fish/sea couple"

"I'da be deli'hted, Witty Jack." Calypso answered with genuine happiness and accepted Jack's offered elbow as he escorted her to the row boat.

"Move it, ya slackers! We've got a war t' win!" The staring group immediately snapped to attention at the yelled order and all but scrambled after the sea goddess in human form and the Pirate King. Very elegantly and heroic like, of course. All adventure mode.

The rowing back to the Pearl seemed to last a lot shorter than rowing away from her had and it seemed like in no time at all, they were on the black ship's deck again, where the crew was shifting around uneasily. To be expected, as the Flying Dutchman was on their starboard side and her Captain was waiting on the deck. Although only the look in his ice blue eyes revealed that he was indeed the same Davy Jones they had all always know and feared. For he, too, like Salazar, had returned to a being of human flesh and seemingly life. Gone were the fish parts and in the place of the devil, the monster, was a sailor who had fallen in love with the sea and the goddess of it and had sworn eternal love and faithfulness to both.

Those same blue eyes immediately locked on Tia Dalma when she set foot on deck with Jack's help and the Pearl's Captain left her side to stand besides James as the two estranged lovers spoke to each other for the first time in decades.

"That was very clever, Jack. I must admit that you've managed to surprise me once again, despite knowing you have this uncanny ability to do the impossible." James said when the pirate Captain reached his side.

Jack glanced at him slyly through his eyelashes. "Jamie, love, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you've grown fond of me. That sounded an awful lot like a compliment!"

Norrington shook his head, wrapping an arm around the eccentric man by his side. All playfulness left Sparrow as they fully looked each other in the eye, seriousness coloring their features. "What happens now?"

"We free Calypso and we fight." Sparrow replied, not moving away from a grip that might have been mistaken for possessiveness if he could not see the look in those green eyes. "We win."

"And after?"

"You'll join my crew for good, of course." The darker man replied with an attempted cocky smirk. Instead, it somehow ended up looking between hopeful and expectant. James felt his lips twitching upwards at the corners.

"Only if the invitation extends to my Lieutenants."

" _Ex_ ," Jack chided and the other only rolled his eyes, leaning down to peck him on the lips.

"And us?"

"I don't belong to any one man, if that's what you're implying." Came the cold warning as black eyes flashed dangerously. Jack had gone through hell and back more than once to make sure he remained a free man. He will not be caged. Even by a lover.

"The thought never even crossed my mind, Captain Sparrow." The ex-Admiral admitted just as seriously, taking the hint. "I am merely inquiring what our relationship will be. What to expect, if you will."

Jack fell silent for a moment, thinking even as the crew cheered when Davy Jones and Calypso shared their first kiss in many, many lonely years. This truly required some thought. Jack Sparrow always flew high in the skies and it was a fine damned truth that he needed someone down to earth to balance and counterbalance him but who would still be able to keep up with him. James was possibly the best person to do it. He was a sailor, used to the sea, so he won't say crap about Jack's constant voyages. And he was a young, able man in a fit state so he'll probably survive any shitty situations the Black Pearl, her Captain and crew might get into and he was a good fighter, a smart and fast thinker. He could adapt. And he was _really_ good in bed.

But he was a gentleman and he had a certain way of doing things like this. Jack still didn't know if James would be able to have an easy, casual affair and he himself was not ready for any type of real commitment other than to his ship. Not for a while, at least. He still opened his eyes believing he was in the Locker and that it had all just been a dream. James Norrington, saving him from the gallows and becoming a pirate for him? Salazar acknowledging him the way he had? The Brethren Court voting him for Pirate King? Not even Jack was sure if his mind could come up with such a story and it only got weirder with this last part about Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman. Jack needed time to settle back into being alive again, despite seemingly being fine on the surface.

He had a feeling James might be willing to wait for a while.

"We'll figure it out as we go," Jack finally replied with one of those genuine smiles that James still claimed for his own and the younger man nodded in understanding with an answering smile of his own. Yes, he can wait. They have all the time in the world to settle their little arrangement. Jack was needed elsewhere. Said man was sashaying towards the reconciled couple with a beaming expression. "Tia Dalma, my dear!" He greeted in a cheery voice. "Or should I call you Calypso now?"

"Calypso, Witty Jack. I am soon ta b' free an' if ya want ta call upon me, ya 'ave ta g't used to dat name." The dark woman replied with a grin as she held on to Jones arm like a sappy couple.

Jack was touched by the hint that their strange association - _friendship_ \- will not end just because Calypso will no longer remain in her little swamp but let it go for the moment. "Ready t' be bound not in yer bones but in holy matrimony? Frightfully borin', that, if ya ask me. But at least the groom is excitin'!" Jones grumbled at the teasing while Calypso, used to Jack's sense of humor, laughed.

"We be ready when'ver ya are, Witty Jack."

A golden grin was her answer before the man raised his voice. "Then gather 'round, me hearties! For ye are 'bout to witness a marriage of th' ages!" A cough from the couple had him smiling sheepishly. "As soon as we free the bride from her mortal bindings, of course." He reached for his Piece of Eight at the same time Ragetti walked up to him with the other eight. Barbossa joined his side with Gibbs' snatched bottle of rum and a match to complete the ceremony. The two Captains of the Black Pearl exchanged a look before taking hold of the bowl holding the Nine Pieces of Eight together and dousing the items with rum before setting them on fire. Only no flame caught until Jones leaned down and whispered in Calypso's ear as light as a lover's caress.

"Calypso, I free you from your human bounds."

The Pieces of Eight immediately started burning and the bowl floated out of the two Pirate Lords' hands towards the woman, who inhaled the smoke. As soon as it was all gone, Calypso started growing until she was as tall as the main mast, arms spread towards the skies above as winds started picking up and the sea became vicious, sending tall waves towards the Company's ships. The bowl cluttered to the ground and Jack quickly picked up the Pieces of Eight, tucking his into its rightful place before giving the rest to Ragetti for safe keeping. There were some panicked shouts as the sea goddess suddenly burst into thousands of crabs and oysters before falling into the sea from the deck and a strong wind caught in the Black Pearl's sails. The ship elegantly jerked forwards, towards their enemies, who were waiting across the crashing waves.

"Men, it has begun!" Barbossa cried out, drawing his pistol and cutlass, earning bloodthirsty cheers from the pirates. "Full sails ahead!"

"Take her starboard, Annamaria!" Jack ordered the helmswoman, drawing his own sword. "Ready the cannons! Keep the powder dry! And for the love of the sea, _hoist the colors_!"

"Hoist the colors!" Will shouted in agreement, Elizabeth, Gibbs, the three ex Navy officers, Barbossa and Victor repeating the order all around the ship. By the time the other ships got the signal it was time to go to battle and raised their own pirate flags, a maelstrom was separating the pirates and the Navy, making Jack's order make sense. The Black Pearl was already closing in to brave the whirlpool by the time the other ships were ready to follow. And aboard the Navy ships, the sailors were finding it neigh impossible to stay upright on their own feet, let alone crew the battle ships. Cannons were rolling loose on the deck, killing men or pushing them overboard, the sails were ripping apart or ropes were flinging clinging sailors into the water, where the waves crashed down on them, drawing them to their watery graves. Far too bulky, men completely unprepared for this type of madness that was practically an everyday sailing experience under one Captain Jack Sparrow, ship after ship was being pulled from the front lines into the deadly maelstrom, where the Pearl's cannons either finished them off or they were crushed by the ruthless sea.

Jones grinned as he turned to the Pirate King. "Kill Beckett fer me, Sparrow, and ye can have yer old mate, Mr Turner, back." With that, he disappeared to his own ship to watch the carnage take place, not at all mournful that he will have to ferry all those souls across later. He was a pirate at heart himself and which normal pirate didn't love a good well deserved blood bath? Jack Sparrow and his ragtag crew not counting. That man thought them far too well never to kill unless necessary. And he wasn't a normal pirate, either.

Jack returned the feral grin to the empty space Jones had been standing in before meeting James' eyes briefly just as they started exiting the whirlpool.

As though he needed any more initiative.


	20. Chapter 20

**Sparrow's Bargain**

 **Summary: A different take on AWE. How would the story differ if there had been a different Pirate King? If Beckett couldn't make a deal with Jack and instead tried to hang him? If Norrington objected when he saw his true face and survived instead of dying on the FD? If more enemies were thrown into the fray? Read to find out! Sparrington**

The battle ended in a matter of hours when most of the fleet were forced to retreat upon realizing that the maelstrom was not only in the pirates' favor but actually _helping_ and _protecting_ them, leaving but a handful of ships behind for Beckett to command. At that point in time, over three dozen ships had sank on the EITC's side while the pirate fleet had barely taken two or three cannonballs. The outcome was obvious long before the Black Pearl set hooks on the Eternity, a ship as big as the Dauntless or the Endeavor, and boarded her to finally rid the world of the menace that was Lord Cutler Beckett.

The war was won long before Captain Jack Sparrow pierced Beckett's cold heart with Norrington's blade; revenge for William and Elizabeth and their ruined lives, for the good Governor, slaughtered like a common criminal; for Norrington and his two loyal Lieutenants, exiled for not wishing to see so many meaningless deaths and for not wanting to take part in the corruption taking place in the Navy they had sworn to serve; for the innocents killed like mad dogs. It could be no other blade and it could be no other person.

Jack's own personal vengeance didn't feel as sweet, for his Wicked Wench.

The new Admiral, the one set to replace Norrington, forfeited as soon as he no longer had to fight. James, Theodor and Andrew were disgusted with him and didn't stop the pirates from robbing the man blind before leaving him to signal a retreat while some of Jack's old crew were busy hanging Beckett's body from the ship's yardarm as a sign of victory. The Eternity was then set ablaze when all the remaining sailors cleared her and her smoke rose high to the skies.

The celebratory cheer escorted the EITC from the battlefield.

The return to the Shipwreck Cove - after some private parties aboard every ship - for a grand feast and celebration was spent with cheering, dancing and music, the rare few pirates that had gotten any kind of injury being looked over by their mates. On the flagships of each individual Pirate Lord, men were drinking and cheering and singing odes to the Pirate Lords, Calypso and their new Pirate King, who had led them to this victory.

On the Black Pearl, the crew were tossing their hats, singing and dancing, couples kissing and hats were being thrown high up in the air. Jack even allowed Gibbs to throw his Captain's hat, which the old sailor took as a great honor and did with happy glee ... Only to end up going to search for it and fetch it. _Only_ to return to the shocking scene of James kissing the life out of his Captain, which only resulted in more cheers and some catcalls or wolf whistles. Gibbs put out of his mind the horrors that might befall the good Commodore when Jack's father finds out and just decided to be happy for the two men. _And_ to tease Annamaria for casting an eye on young Gillete. Poor lad was blushing like a bride as she flirted with him. At least Elizabeth and Will will be happy.

Speaking of Turners, one Bootstrap Bill scared the living daylights out of Ragetti and Pintel when they found him in the cellar among the rum barrels. He was whole human again and slightly disoriented but not enough to not recognize the two rascals and he had chased them right up to the main deck and behind Elizabeth and Will, where he was then swept into his deliriously happy son's embrace and was then introduced to his daughter in law. Sad to have missed the wedding ceremony but happy his son had found his peace and happiness, Bill congratulated them, punched Barbossa in the nose before migrating to Jack where he attempted to plead forgiveness, for the mutiny and the Black Spot. Jack just grinned at him and bumped a fist against his shoulder before yelping when he was swept into his old friend's arms for a long overdue hug.

And then there was the whole Captain of the Flying Dutchman and Goddess of the sea wedding that ensued just before the Pearl was to make the Crossing. Calypso now appeared before them in a dress as white as sea foam and her hair resembled the sea's waves, looking like a true happy bride with make-up in the colors of the sea. Jones had been lovestruck upon seeing her walking across the deck towards him with a bucket of seaweed and corals. The sea goddess had chosen Elizabeth for her maid of honor and Ragetti and Pintel as her brides maids, much to everyone's amusement, the latter's horror and the former's glee. At least they didn't have to wear any dresses. Jones picked young William for his best man, impressed with him as he was since Sparrow was already conducting the ceremony. Jack the monkey was the ring boy and thankfully Jack had a whole collection of rings in his cabin as treasure for emergency repairs for his ship. It was as grand as they could make it be on such short notice, with Mr Cotton's parrot replacing the doves and rum replacing the rice.

At least the sea couple was happy when they boarded the Flying Dutchman after many congratulations to even more congratulations before the cursed ship sailed away. They had the night to themselves as a honeymoon before Jones had to pick up his duties again. Hopefully he won't neglect them again and become a monster once more.

When the Black Pearl finished the crossing some hours later, it was to a downright party of welcome within the Cove, all the pirates sending salutations to the fearless men and women who had sailed under the new Pirate King. The music was playing, various voices were singing, men were dancing, food was being served, women were fluttering about, the rum was flowing. In short, the celebrations were well underway by the time the fastest ship of the seas finally docked and her crew could join in the fun. Will and Elizabeth practically dragged Bill off to have some fun, Annamaria doing the same to poor blushing Gillete while Groves followed with a cackle at his friend's embarrassment. Ragetti and Pintel stumbled over other pirates as they all raced to get their free celebratory rum, Gibbs somehow managing to beat them all through some maneuvering and shoving that he was not at all ashamed of. Barbossa only gave Sparrow a look before following, a challenge but also an acknowledgement that the Black Pearl had only _one_ Captain and that Hector wasn't nearly as crazy or as suicidal as Jack as to oppose the sea itself just to have her. And that's why the Black Pearl will _always_ only be Jack Sparrow's ship and why he is her Captain.

Besides, the likeliness of Barbossa leaving the Cove in one piece is very ... unlikely. Or at least he will be imprisoned for some time instead, since he _had_ led the mission to save Jack from the Locker.

It all depended on how his father was feeling at the moment.

And speaking of his father...

"Well done, Jackie. You couldn't have made me more proud." Jack froze as his foot touched the wood of the harbor in the citadel when he heard that all to familiar voice which he had not heard since he had lost his ship to Barbossa. James, who had stayed with the Captain, looked up to see the Keeper of the Code leaning against some crates near the gangplank of the Pearl, arms crossed and a proud smile on his face. "You have brought honor to the Teague family name, boy. I don't have the words to describe how proud I am of you. Your Ma would have probably cackled with delight right about now."

Norrington stared between Pirate King and Keeper in utter shock, final pieces of the puzzle falling into place as the similarities between the two pirates _finally_ registered and he couldn't help but feel like an idiot. Damn it, Teague looked like an older, world weary version of Jack! How had no one ever noticed before? Then again, it only became obvious when the two men were standing next to each other.

Jack looked tense for a long moment before he relaxed and an elated grin spread across his mustached lips. "Thanks, Da. 'T means a lot, coming from you."

But Teague just shook his head fondly and pushed away from the crates to place both hands on Jack's shoulders. "No, boy. You've far surpassed me. And your story is still only beginning, Jackie. Just ... stay alive and make us all proud."

"Us?" That single word had the power to extinguish all of Jack's elation, glee, pride and happiness at being acknowledged by his - very legendary, very famous and infamous and very powerful - father and instead replace it all with dread and fear.

Edward smiled sympathetically at his son. "Your uncles, aunt, cousin and Grandmama are all here, waiting to have a word with you, Jackie."

As if on cue, a rough female voice sounded behind Teague. "Jack Edward Teague, ya little bloody good fer nothin' sea dog bastard!" Grandmama Teague thundered and both father and son flinched, the latter going as pale as a sheet and turning on his heel to flee. "Wot d' ya think ye're doin'? Runnin' away from home and dyin', givin' yer old Granmama a heart attack?! Don't ya dare run, boy, or I swear by the seven winds that I'll break every bone in yer good fer nothin' body, ya rascal! Git back 'ere!" The curses went on and on as the youngest member of the Teague clan fled for his life, an old lady sprinting after him at a _very_ impressive speed for such an old woman.

James just watched in disbelief as the two streaked through the crowds, ex second Pirate Lord of the Atlantic chasing after the second Pirate King to mangle his body beyond repair for 'nearly killing her of a grief broken heart for the second time'. A few seconds later, another woman dashed passed the two men with bottles of rum in hand, hurling it after the matriarch of the family while yelling at her to 'leave wee Jack alone, ya crazy old hag!' A nearby group of pirates that shared at least two features with the Keeper and the Pirate King were cackling, snickering and roaring with laughter as Jack used all of his accumulated experience and skill to evade his own grandmother from killing him, climbing all over the citadel like a primate, dodging random objects and knives being thrown his way and silently praying Calypso might take pity on him and save him, only to remember she was busy right now.

James didn't know whether to laugh or wince in sympathy.

Teague saved him from further wondering. "I never considered it as such, but I knew your father well enough to know he thought as much, so I am telling you now that your father's debt to me is repaid."

"I beg your pardon?" The startled ex Admiral started, staring at the older man. The man his father had been obsessing over as bad as James had been over Jack when he had chased after him. Maybe it was an inherital thing? Or a charm of Jack's family? Both were a possibility.

"Admiral Lawrence Norrington believed he owed me for saving your life, Admiral James Norrington." At the young man's shocked expression, Teague smirked. "Did you truly believe I wouldn't know who you are after letting my son escape the gallows, two years ago? Not to mention you're the spitting image of your father. Anyway, as a father of an only son whom I love _very_ much-"

 _'To the point of over-protectiveness,'_ James thought, recalling what Jack had said about his father even though he had never mentioned Teague's name. It must have been a precaution for Jack not to use his family name in order to prevent others from using him against his father.

"I knew what it was like to wonder if you had lost your son to the sea, so I never even thought about whether I should fish you out or not. I had just gotten my own son back and I wouldn't want the grief of outliving your own son on even my worst enemy. Something tells me, however, that dear Lawrence didn't see it that way."

"He was disgusted with me. Told me he would have preferred me at the bottom of the sea than saved by a pirate." James replied in a cold, bland voice and Teague scowled.

"Bloody old fool." The man shook his head incredulously. "Anyway, I don't treat it like a debt but he no doubt always did. So I am letting you off, as you have returned the debt when you gave my son back to me. You can write to your old man that he no longer owes this pirate."

James looked away from those eyes that were nearly as dark as Jack's, feeling a bit ashamed in their genuine gratitude. "Had I not interfered with your son's original plan, he would not have died or found himself facing the noose in my presence for the second time in the first place. I have not repaid any debt. Instead, I have indebted you once again for causing you the grief of outliving your son, even if only for a year."

The Keeper regarded him for a long moment before shaking his head again, his trinkets clinking in a similar manner to his son's and James for a moment wondered who had started the trend between the two. He snapped back to attention when he overheard Teague muttering about 'too noble for their own good Navy men with too high morals and too much of a guilty conscience'. He went to protest that it was not a bad thing but the older male cut him off.

"Fine. Then repay me by staying by Jack's side and keeping him out of any trouble he can't bust himself out of by his onsies. Savvy?"

"That doesn't seem nearly enough," Norrington insisted, but was once again cut off by Teague, this time with a snort.

"You've yet to see the type of trouble Jackie can get himself into."

"Worse than bring on the rage of Davy Jones and his Kraken upon himself?" James challenged incredulously and curiously with raised eyebrows in surprise. Then he shook his head as he realized who he was talking about. Of course he can. He was Captain Jack Sparrow and for all that he was trice blessed - by Ladies Luck and Fate and Calypso - he was also trice damned - with trouble, danger and heart stopping near death experiences. Chaos followed that man like a lost puppy, madness like a prowling, hungry wolf.

"Yep."

"Of course." He rolled his eyes heavenwards long sufferingly yet strangely fondly. Hm, he'll really have to speak to Jack about their relationship. One day soon. "Very well. I accept. It's not as though I was going to do otherwise. Theodor is already set on signing up on the Pearl's roster and Andrew will probably be dragged along by his new lady love. And Theodor. And Mr Turner will be too busy protecting his wife to properly watch even his own back in battle, let alone Sparrow's. The Pearl seems to be in my future and looking out for her eccentric Captain doesn't seem like the worst of fates."

"Especially not if you're buggering said Captain, ey, boy?" Teague teased lewdly and James suddenly matched the older man's coat. Edward laughed for a moment and clapped James on the shoulder twice before gripping it in a vice grip. His eyes turned murderous and his voice became cold, his face a mask of death better than any executioner's. James ft himself gulping despite his best efforts. "You treat my son good or I will hunt you down and not even your bones will remain for the sharks. Savvy?"

"You have my word." He immediately replied and was not even surprised by his own honesty. Teague seemed pleased and just tapped him on the shoulder again before going off into the crowds, towards Victor, Hugo and a bunch of other pirates who had no doubt served on his ship at some point.

James raked a shaky finger through his hair as he thought about how much his life had changed in just two years of personally knowing Jack Sparrow. He'll never be able to go back home, not that England had ever felt much like home. He had much more preferred the Caribbean, with its scorching heat and beautiful, adventurous sea and hidden, magical islands and cursed treasures and mythical beings. It was, apparently, inevitable that he'd come to prefer its Pirate Lord above any other lover or commander. And life will simply never again be boring. Not when he was to spend the rest of it near Captain Jack Sparrow.

Yes, it will be dangerous and chaotic. Yes, his life will be on the line every day after he leaves the Cove on the Black Pearl. And yes, he _must_ have gone slightly insane for being excited about it all, but he was way past caring. You lived your life only once and if there's anything Sparrow thought him it was that you should live it to your fullest. And James Norrington was finally ready to embrace all that life had to offer, at last!

So he drank the rum, sang the songs and shared stories and jokes with the drunken pirates before finally leaving the crowds to find his lover and safely escort him back to the man's ship, where they celebrated with a good, long night of pleasure.

And come morning, when Sparrow's Bargain finally paid off as the tide gently rocks the Black Pearl while James wakes to the sight of this strange yet remarkable man in his arms, a new life and a new adventure shall begin.

 **THE END**


End file.
